Wednesday, March 25, 2015

TANKER OVERTURNS AT BOURNE ROTARY, SPILLING ALMOST 8,000 GALLONS OF GASOLINE NEAR CAPE COD CANAL IN MASSACHUSETTS







MARCH 25, 2015

BOURNE, MASS.

The Bourne Bridge and rotary re-opened Wednesday morning, about 10 hours after a tanker crashed spilling fuel all over the road.

The tanker was carrying 11,500 gallons of gasoline when it crashed at about 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to State Police.

They say the tanker had crossed the Bourne Bridge heading south, but it did not turn into the rotary as it left the bridge. Instead, police say it crossed into the grass infield inside the traffic circle, crashed and then rolled onto its side.

“It was going straight towards the rotary, heading towards the middle of the rotary and it didn’t stop. It started turning right at the last second and flipped twice,” witness Andrew Shea told WBZ-TV.

“I was afraid of an explosion right away.”

This was an obvious (and very common) way that these tankers overturn: the driver goes too fast for the road conditions and fails to negotiate the turn.  The tanker that carries sloshing fluid will allow only 0.2 to 0.4 g to make the turn; 
thus, if the driver exceeds that, the tanker flips to its side or rolls over.   

We got lucky that the gasoline did not explode.  Really lucky.    

But they lost a very significant amount of gasoline (8,000 gallons) which created a massive environmental problem.  Even one gallon of gasoline can create an environmental problem; imagine what 8,000 gallons will do.

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A tractor-trailer carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline overturned and began spilling fuel at the Bourne South Rotary late Tuesday night, sparking a hazmat situation, officials said.

State Police have asked residents to avoid the rotary and the Bourne Bridge Wednesday morning as cleanup continues. The bridge and roads around the rotary have been closed, and cross-canal traffic is being diverted to the Sagamore Bridge, State Police said.

The initial call to the Bourne Fire Department came in at 11:03 p.m., according to Deputy Chief David Pelonzi. 

The driver of the truck was injured and taken to Tobey Hospital in Wareham, Pelonzi said. The 47-year-old Westport man, whose name was not released early Wednesday, was initially trapped in the cab of the truck, but was able to free himself, State Police said in a statement.

The tanker was carrying approximately 11,500 gallons of gasoline at the time of the crash, State Police said. Because of the foam used on the leaking tanker, State Police could not yet determine the company that owned the truck. 

Fuel was continuing to spill at 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to State Police.
The accident occurred when the tanker crossed the Bourne Bridge heading south and after exiting the bridge, did not turn into the rotary but crossed the grass inside the traffic circle, rolling onto its side, State Police said.

A hazmat team was requested to handle the gasoline leak, according to Pelonzi.
He said that first responders were concerned for any possible environmental effects because of the rotary’s close proximity to the Cape Cod Canal. No nearby residents were evacuated, Pelonzi added. 

The Environmental Protection Agency was being called in to assess the spill and oversee cleanup once the leaking had stopped, State Police also said.
Media reports on the incident: 

Update: Tanker removed from Bourne Rotary after crash, but bridge, road still closed http://t.co/MIc32oZYh5 pic.twitter.com/vAnIAo7RQN
— WBZ Boston News (@cbsboston) March 25, 2015
Update: Bourne Bridge, Rotary Closed After Tanker Crash (via @MassStatePolice @SusieWBZ ) http://t.co/MIc32oZYh5 pic.twitter.com/dSLgzXB5wt
— WBZ Boston News (@cbsboston) March 25, 2015
Bourne Bridge closed after overnight tanker crash, @jessicamreyes live at 6am with the latest updates. pic.twitter.com/utq30Qlq4Z
— FOX 25 News Boston (@fox25news) March 25, 2015
#BreakingNews: Tanker still creating mess in Bourne. Rotary & Bourne Bridge shut down. @seracongi is there. #WCVB pic.twitter.com/cCWs01wr0x
— Jenny Barron (@JennyWCVB) March 25, 2015
Source: CBSboston