Tanker crashes, spills 800 gallons of gas on I-90

MISSOULA

About 800 gallons of unleaded gasoline spilled onto Interstate 90 on Monday after a fuel tanker sideswiped a tractor trailer east of here, authorities said. Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Sean Finley said the tractor trailer was trying to pull to the side of the highway when it was struck by the tanker at about 11:40 a.m. The accident briefly closed both eastbound lanes. Traffic was limited to one eastbound lane throughout the early afternoon, but both lanes were open by 4 p. m. A Montana Rail Link train also was delayed for more than an hour because of concern that sparks could ignite the gas. Travis Ross, an environmental health specialist for the Missoula City-County Health Department, said the fuel tank was divided into cells that prevent all of its contents from spilling if there is a wreck. Several cells carrying 1,200 gallons of fuel were ruptured in the accident. A hazardous materials team from the Missoula Rural Fire Department mopped up the spill and helped transfer the remaining gasoline to another tanker. The state Department of Environmental Quality will begin excavating a large area of contaminated soil Tuesday. "This is one of the bigger spills that we've seen lately in this area," Ross said. "Right now, there's really no telling how many yards of soil they'll have to remove." (AP)