Ignacio’s main roadway was shut down for several hours Monday when a large container of gear oil fell off a truck, dumping its contents onto the street.
The container of oil used to lubricate machinery fell off a semi truck and onto the street about 11:40 a.m. at the intersection of Goddard Avenue, County Road 151 and Ute Street.
The container broke when it hit the street and spilled about 100 gallons, said Scot Davis, Los Pinos Fire Protection District battalion chief.
“We found a 275-gallon tote that was filled with gear lube which had fallen off the back of a bobtail truck,” Davis said. “(We) found it to not be attached properly, and estimate that approximately 100 gallons of gear oil leaked out of that tote.”
He said firefighters with Los Pinos regularly train to respond to hazmat incidents and sprang into action.
“We dammed the spill up with absorbent materials to create a damming operation so it didn’t flow into any drainage systems,” he said. “Then we used basically specialized, expensive cat litter to absorb that inside of the dammed area.”
The cleanup took roughly three hours.
In addition to Los Pinos fire, the Ignacio Police Department, Southern Ute Police Department, Southern Ute Rangers, Colorado State Patrol’s hazmat team, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Ignacio’s town maintenance department provided aid.
“We also had a number of citizens assisting,” Davis said.
Both Davis and Mayor Alison deKay said mechanics with Dub’s Auto Body sprang into action as soon as the container tipped over and began leaking oil.
A representative for Dub’s Auto Body did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
