Thumbnail photo courtesy of Caltrans District 1
State and federal agencies continue to oversee a cleanup effort involving liquid asphalt emulsion that spilled from a tanker that overturned on U.S. 199 about a week ago.
While it’s still unclear how much material entered the river, the cleanup has recovered about 3,778 pounds of asphalt emulsion, said Eric Laughlin, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response. Responders have not observed the asphalt emulsion one mile downstream from the incident, Laughlin told Redwood Voice Community News via email Thursday.
The 2016 Kenworth semi was hauling about 6,000 gallons of liquid asphalt emulsion on June 11 when the driver collided with the embankment and overturned at milepost marker 27.4 on U.S. 199 south of the Idlewild Caltrans Maintenance Station.
The driver, a Redding man, was transported to the hospital with major injuries.
According to Blair Robertson, public information officer with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the substance released onto the roadway had been contained, however the material released into the river was not contained.
According to Laughlin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working with CDFW on the cleanup effort in the river. The spill response is also being conducted in coordination with Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol, Robertson said.
