A 15-mile stretch of Interstate 75 in Lee and Charlotte counties was reopened Monday night after being shut down for nearly 12 hours due to a truck leaking a poisonous chemical.
Florida Highway Patrol closed the southbound lanes at Tuckers Grade (Mile Marker 158) and the northbound lanes at Bayshore Road (Mile Marker 143) at around 10 a.m. Southbound lanes of I-75 at Tuckers Grade reopened shortly before 2 p.m.
The northbound lanes of I-75 remained closed until 9:55 p.m., due to containers having to be inspected and offloaded onto a second refrigeration truck, the FHP said.
During a traffic stop, troopers smelled an odor coming from the truck and saw
something leaking from the right rear door.
It was determined that the truck was transporting over 15,000 pounds of a highly flammable resin solution.
The FHP said the carrier involved was Insituform Technologies LLC out of Chesterfield, Montana. The company was cited for a violation of 49 Hazmat regulations covering securing packages in a motor vehicle.
The carrier was issued a $500 fine for the violation.
The resin was identified as the synthetic chemical styrene in multiple 250-gallon, 3-foot-by-3 foot totes, said Todd Dunn, Charlotte County spokesman.
Units from Charlotte County Fire/EMS Hazmat, Fort Myers Fire Department Hazmat, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Charlotte County Emergency Management and Community Emergency Response Team Hazmat crews worked the scene.
According to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, styrene is used extensively in the manufacture of plastics, rubber, and resins.
The resins are used to make plastic packaging, disposable cups and containers, insulation, and other products. styrene is also produced naturally in some plants.
About 90,000 workers, including those who make boats, tubs, and showers, are potentially exposed to styrene.
Health effects from exposure to styrene may involve the central nervous system and include complaints of headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, malaise, difficulty in concentrating, and a feeling of intoxication.
Insituform® CIPP has been used for more than 45 years to protect pipelines from corrosion, restore structural integrity, reduce infiltration, eliminate leaking joints, improve water quality and increase pipeline flow capacity. We offer a variety of solutions for renewing wastewater and stormwater pipelines as well as pressurized force mains and water distribution and transmission mains.
We can quickly install our trenchless CIPP solutions in areas not accessible to dig and replace methods. We have renewed pipelines beneath interstates, bridges, busy roadways, airports and military installations without disrupting traffic. Our CIPP tube is designed to meet individual project specifications, and our manufacturing capabilities are ISO-certified, with each tube tracked from start to finish. Additionally, our regional distribution system helps keep transportation costs to a minimum.