Friday, June 3, 2016

Toxic chemical filled semi-truck turns over, spills in Midland area


UPDATE:
3:15 p.m. — One westbound lane of Macon Road is now open following the toxic chemical spill cleanup.
2:17 p.m. — A Hazmat cleanup official says the toxic chemical spill on Macon Road should be clear within the hour.
CAM, Inc. is the cleanup crew responsible for containing the spill and partner Tony Wright says one westbound lane will reopen when the cleanup is finished. He says one lane will have to stay closed since some of the hazardous chemical leaked into a ditch that runs along Macon Road.
11:30 a.m. — Both lanes of Macon Road westbound is still closed as crews work in hazmat suits to clean up a toxic chemical spill. Fire crews identify the substance as tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) which is used for industrial use to strip and etch metal surfaces.
A safety guideline by the University of California, Los Angeles says TMAH is extremely toxic if ingested, can cause deadly chemical burns to the skin, and produces harmful fumes.
Police say a truck carrying TMAH crashed, overturned and spilled the chemical onto Macon Road just after midnight Thursday. They say the truck was traveling on a delivery from Savannah.