FEBRUARY 24, 2015
LEXINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
A vehicle carrying hazardous
materials overturned Tuesday in Lexington County, forcing three nearby schools
to keep children inside while the situation was dealt with.
According to DHEC, late Tuesday afternoon announced that the
trailer had a very small leak. Contractor has placed booms around the area to
contain the spilled material.
The accident happened on Pine Ridge Drive at Fish Hatchery
Road just after noon. It's unclear what led up to the accident, but Pine Ridge
police say the vehicle was carrying isobutyl acetate, a flammable liquid.
Officers say the vehicle's tank had thousands of gallons of
the chemical in it.
The driver suffered injuries and was transported to the
hospital for treatment.
Based upon advice from DHEC and Law Enforcement, Lexington
School District Two sheltered students in place at Pine Ridge Middle School,
Wood Elementary School and Congaree-Wood Early Childhood Center.
The situation was handled in time for students to be
released on their normal schedule. DHEC says there is not a threat to the
public.
If the driver is not careful, these tanker trucks rollover like puppies. This was a close call indeed.
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Lexington School District Two briefly sheltered students in
place as a precaution Tuesday after a tanker overturned in the area, according
to District spokeswoman Kay Joseph.
"They were dismissed a little ahead of their normal
dismissal time as parents and buses arrived to take students home," Joseph
said.
The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC)
said the truck that overturned at Pine Ridge Drive and at Fish Hatchery Roads was
carrying isobutyl acetate, a chemical used as a thinning agent in the
manufacture of sealants and lacquers, and in making perfumes and as a flavoring
agent.
A contractor for the SC Department of Health and
Environmental Control inspected the scene of the overturned truck and has now
determined that there was a "very small leak from the tanker." Booms
were placed around the area to contain the spilled material, DHEC said.
Isobutyl acetate is highly flammable and poses a moderate
explosion hazard if exposed to heat, flame or oxidizers, according to the
National Library of Medicine's TOXNET database.
If inhaled, the vapor can cause cough, sore throat, dizziness,
headache and loss of consciousness.
"We will ensure the environmental contractor
appropriately addresses any environmental concerns," DHEC said late this
afternoon.
Injuries from the accident have been reported, according to
the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Students are being sheltered at Pine Ridge Middle School,
Wood Elementary School and Congaree-Wood Early Childhood Center, Joseph said.
The decision was made based on advice from the Department of Health and
Environmental Control (DHEC) and local law enforcement.