Ammonia spill closes roads
Photo
Emergency crews responded to an anhydrous ammonia leak on Avalon Road just east of County J. A tank mounted trailer overturned causing the leak. The liquid was eventually transferred into another tank.
LA PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP — A chemical spill closed rural roads southeast of Janesville for about five hours Thursday.
No one was injured.
A farm tractor pulling a trailer with a tank of anhydrous ammonia had moved to the side of Avalon Road to let traffic pass when the trailer’s right side dropped onto the shoulder, the Janesville Fire Department reported.
As the tractor moved back onto the road, the trailer tipped onto its side. The tank was damaged and began to leak a white gas that blew to the south and west.
The spill led to closures of County J and Avalon Road starting around 10 a.m.
The Janesville Fire Department’s hazardous materials team was called in.
A fresh tank was brought in about noon. Firefighters connected the damaged tank to the good one and drained the remaining ammonia from the leaking tank.
About 650 pounds of ammonia had vented from the tank, said Janesville Fire Department Shift Cmdr. Scott Morovits.
The tractor belonged to the DeLong Co. of Clinton, which discussed cleanup with the state Department of Natural Resources, Morovits said.
Anhydrous ammonia is a fertilizer that is injected into the soil. Exposure to the gas can cause burns, lung damage, blindness or death.
In April, an anhydrous ammonia accident led to evacuations of 18 houses near Afton and sent at least eight people to the hospital with burning eyes or breathing difficulties.
Jun 13, 2009 at 10:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
The unit that is being directly pulled behind the tractor is called the toolbar and is designed to have other implements pulled behind it such as ammonia tanks and other fertilizer application equipment, the toolbar is what does the fertilizer application work which has all the fittings on it for the ammonia etc to be transfered from the tank to the toolbar which does the application, and is designed to be pulled on roadways for transport. Unfortuneately the tractor operator must have misjudged some things and got too far onto the soft shoulder which resulted in this accident, but yes usualy the epmty tanks or other full tanks being pulled to the fields are transported by pickup trucks, but when being pulled in this manner it is usualy a safe practice if you dont get too far off onto the shoulder of the road
Jun 13, 2009 at 12:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
One question.
Why didnt the farmer use a pickup to tow this trailer? He wouldnt had needed to move over to let traffic pass with a truck.
Also coulnt the trailers be fitted with "roll bars" that encircle the front and rear of the tank to help protect them in case of an accident like this?
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