Updated: Truck Overturns, Spilling Chemical into Riverview Intersection
Crews worked hours to clean up the estimated 25,000 pounds of chemicals spilled at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Big Bend Road.
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The intersection of U.S. 301 and Big Bend road was closed for two hours last night after a tractor-trailer truck transporting a fertilizer product overturned, dumping about a fourth of its 87,800 pounds of the load onto the road.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Orlando Soto, 28, of Ruskin was traveling north on U.S. 301 in a tractor-trailer truck owned by Dillon Transport at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, when he attempted to make a left turn to travel west on Big Bend Road.
However, according to troopers, Soto was traveling too fast to successfully make the turn. The truck overturned onto its right side, spilling an estimated 25,000 pounds of the chemical into the intersection.
Although the highway patrol identified the product as ammonium nitrate, a colorless crystalline salt used in fertilizers, explosives, and solid rocket propellants, Patch readers report that Dillon Transport doesn't haul ammonium nitrate. Instead, the company transports diammonium phosphate, a nonhazardous fertilizer.
griff
7:02 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Dillon doesn't transport ammonium nitrate, it was diammonium phosphate which is finished fertalizer and is non hazardous.
D'Ann White
3:18 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
Thanks, Griff, I'll forward your information to the Florida Highway Patrol, which sent us the press release.
Ted
11:08 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
The product being hauled in the over turned truck was defiantly diammonium phosphate,us drivers call it DAP. The picture you have on your article is ammonium nitrate a completely different product. That type of trailer being used by Dillon is very top heavy and dangerous to pull I've talked to drivers that are nervous about pulling them, I've followed them and can see them swaying back and fourth at the top. Good job to the drivers pulling these trailers day in and day out that more haven't been over turned. Walpole also have these type of trailers and have had them over turn. You mentioned 87800 pounds of product that is the gross weight of the vehicle product being about 60000 pounds. These company's bid the rate low then try to make it up by hauling more product. DAP is loaded at mosaic in new wales and transported to kinder Morgan at port sutton for export.
D'Ann White
11:50 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
Thanks for the additional information, Ted. Diammonium phosphate is definitely a lot different than ammonium nitrate.