A failed hydraulic line in a piece of equipment at Pike Industries in Springfield, VT caused a massive hazmat spill. Around 2,200 gallons of tar spilled and some of that did reach a nearby brook. Pike Industries is one of the largest paving companies in New England.
One person suffered minor burns when he attempted to fix the line and stop the leak. Pike officials and a state engineer were present when the line failed.
Paul Stagner, Deputy Chief of the Springfield Fire Department, said “I’ve been on the state hazmat team for a number of years myself and on the (Springfield) department for over 17 years. This is the first time I’ve ever seen something like this happen with this piece of equipment. The waterway contamination was quickly mitigated by using sand piles to create dams. The contaminant was a tar-like substance that doesn’t have its own hazmat ID number. It does not harden in the way that concrete would. Pike did a good job moving the equipment to prevent it from leaking into an area that was going to be exposed to the waterway. Quite a bit of material did leak, but it was all contained relatively quickly onto the road and into a dirt area that was dug up.”
Officials contain hazardous 2,200-gallon tar spill in Springfield
