MAY 21, 2015
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS
County and state authorities were able to contain a chemical
spill at the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 75 in Huntsville on
Wednesday morning.
Huntsville Emergency Management Coordinator John Waldo said
the Walker County Hazmat Team was able to neutralize the acid-based substance
by about 11 a.m. Authorities are unsure how the spill occurred, which forced
the roadway in front of McCoy's Building Supply to be closed for a couple of
hours.
"It must have fallen off a truck that was turning onto
the on-ramp at Highway 19," Waldo said. "We got a call that there was
a substance on the ground and that it was smoking. When we got there it was
eating the asphalt.
"The Hazmat Team was able to neutralize the spill with
a sodium-based powder off the truck."
The Texas Department of Transportation cleaned the spill and
the area was cleared. The Huntsville Fire Department, Walker County
Environmental Enforcement Office and the Walker County Emergency Medical
Services also responded to the scene.