Residents in Fairmont, WV were temporarily evacuated on Wednesday evening following a chemical spill. A truck hauling 40,000 pounds of hydrochloric acid began leaking as it was traveling near the Pine Grove Bridge. West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and several hazmat teams responded to the scene.
They estimate the truck spilled around 4,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid. Marion County Sheriff Jimmy Riffle explained “The truck, through either a faulty valve or some sort of malfunction, began leaking hydrochloric acid. The driver noticed it, pulled off, evacuated the truck, and called emergency services. It is my understanding that it is a skin, eye, a respiratory irritant. It is corrosive. They are concerned about possible contamination of a nearby stream.”
Crews remained on scene for several hours digging a trench to contain the spill and transferring the remaining chemical into another truck.
