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Spills & Sundry Messes

Eeew!

Overturned slurry tanker closes A30
11:18am Monday 24th December 2012 in News

An overturned tanker carrying as much as 3,000 gallons of slurry has closed the A30 eastbound at Scorrier.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 10.20am after a road traffic collision was reported on the eastbound slip road.
A second tanker is currently clearing up the lorry's "load" according to police officers.

The Exeter-bound carriageway of the A30 is closed and won't reopen until lunchtime, the police estimate.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/10 ... 30/?ref=mr
 
I guess this goes here:

French Lubrizol factory struggles to stop foul gas leak

Staff at a chemicals factory in north-western France are working to stop a gas leak that has spread a foul smell to Paris and south-east England.
French Ecology Minister Delphine Batho said she was heading for Rouen, where the factory is located, to oversee operations to deal with the leak.
Thousands of people, from as far away as Paris and London, have complained of nausea and headaches.
The gas is mercaptan, an additive to natural gas said to be harmless.

It leaked on Monday from a plant run by a French subsidiary of the US chemicals manufacturer Lubrizol near Rouen, 75 miles (120km) north-west of Paris.
Winds blew the cloud over northern France on Monday night and then into England on Tuesday.
Ms Batho is cutting short a visit to Germany to a visit to supervise operations to stop the leak.

Tuesday evening's French Cup football match between Rouen and Marseille has been postponed because of the stink.
"We did not want to find ourselves with 10,000 fans two kilometres from the factory and with no means of confining them or evacuating them if necessary," local government official Florence Gouache told AFP news agency.

A Rouen resident told Reuters news agency the stench pervaded his home; "You can't ventilate. There is nothing to do, it's constantly in the room and it's unbearable."
Another resident told AFP news agency: "This is horrible. I thought I was in a gas cylinder." Another said the air smelled of "rotten eggs".

There is no word on the cause of the leak. The factory has been closed.
It is a "Seveso" site - a classification named after an industrial leak in Italy in 1976 and entailing a high degree of supervision,
A senior executive at the factory, Pierre-Jean Payrouse, said stopping the leak could take until the evening.

In Britain, the Health Protection Agency said: "The smell drifting over Southern England today poses no risk to public health.
"The odour, which is similar to rotten eggs, has been noticed by people mainly in Kent, East and West Sussex and some parts of Surrey."
Emergency officials in southern Kent advised residents "to keep doors and windows closed due to a gas cloud".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21147361
 
This probably fits here as well.

Norway goat cheese fire closes tunnel
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21141244

Brunost has a high concentration of fat and sugar

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A road tunnel in Norway has been closed - by a lorry-load of burning cheese.

About 27 tonnes of caramelised brown goat cheese - a delicacy known as Brunost - caught light as it was being driven through the Brattli Tunnel at Tysfjord, northern Norway, last week.

The fire raged for five days and smouldering toxic gases were slowing the recovery operation, officials said.

The tunnel - which is said to be badly damaged - is likely to remain closed for several weeks, they added.

"We can't go in until it's safe," geologist Viggo Aronsen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Police officer Viggo Berg said the high concentration of fat and sugar in the cheese made it burn "almost like petrol if it gets hot enough".


The lorry driver had noticed the fire in his trailer and abandoned it about 300m (1,000ft) from the southern entrance. No-one was hurt.

Kjell Bjoern Vinje, of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, said it was the first time he could remember cheese catching fire on Norwegian roads.

"I didn't know that brown cheese burns so well," he said.
 
"caramelised brown goat cheese - a delicacy known as Brunost"

Sounds quite tasty! (And comes in handy if you run out of logs for your fireplace or stove! ;) )

But what about Le Pong? Has anybody on FTMB caught a whiff?

I remember, years ago, sitting outside at a cafe in Paris with a Swiss friend for a casual lunch. I noticed a distinct whiff of something in the air, but I couldn't decide if it was the street drains, or the cheese in my friend's sandwich! 8)
 
At lunchtime on Tuesday, here in Berkshire, I noticed a smell that isn't usually in the air in these parts, so I assume it was the French whiff. I thought initially it was probably coming from one of the enormous machines that's been chopping down our woods very close to my office, but then saw the reports on about the gas leak.
 
Royston man escapes after hay bales fall on his car

A driver escaped injury after a tractor and trailer overturned, shedding its load of hay bales onto his car.
Police and paramedics were called to Sun Hill in Royston, Hertfordshire, shortly before 14:00 GMT on Friday.

East of England Ambulance Service spokesman Gary Sanderson said the man's vehicle was trapped against his house, but he had managed to free himself.
"This man was very fortunate indeed to walk away without injury," he said.

A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman said the accident happened near The Chequers pub as the tractor was taking a corner.
A house suffered structural damage, she added.
The A10 Market Hill was closed between Upper King Street and B1039 Barkway Road and diversions were put in place.
Police said they expected to be at the scene for some time while bales were removed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-be ... s-21295369
 
Road closed after glue lorry spills load at Sanquhar

A road has been closed after a lorry carrying glue jack-knifed, spilling its load over the carriageway.
The crash has closed the A76 Dumfries to Kilmarnock Road at Sanquhar in south west Scotland.

A major clean-up operation is set to get under way and police say the route is expected to be closed until 17:00.
Lengthy diversions are in operation and motorists are being urged to avoid the area. The driver was not hurt.

The glue container burst when the lorry jack-knifed on the road at 05:30, police said.
The incident happened in the town centre and diversions are in place around the affected area in Sanquhar.

Traffic is able to rejoin the A76 either side of the town but the re-routing has caused difficulties for large, industrial vehicles.

A Dumfries and Galloway police spokesman said: "The glue container on the lorry has burst and glue spilling is affecting the road surface.
"Road diversions are being put in place. However, motorists are asked to avoid the area if possible."

A member of police control staff said the road closure is expected to be in place for several hours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-21545293
 
Drivers stewing as shed load of meat closes Truro road
3:30pm Wednesday 3rd April 2013 in News .

UPDATE: Traffic easing, both lanes reopened.

The A390 Tregolls Road is closed in both directions after a lorry shed its load of meat.

Traffic is queueing [] due to the meat in the road at A39 Newquay Road, with congestion spreading to B3284 St Austell Street / Malpas Road / St Clement's Hill (Trafalgar Roundabout).

Due to the large amount of shed load that needs to be cleared up this closure will be ongoing for some time.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/10 ... ad/?ref=mr
 
Diesel spillage closes Truro commuter route

A key commuter route into Truro has been closed after a big spillage of diesel.
The A390 has been shut from Chiverton Cross to Threemilestone after about 700 litres (155 gallons) of diesel spilled onto the road at Penstraze from a combine harvester at 06:15 BST.
Police and fire crews were called to the scene to stem and contain the leak.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the road would be closed for some time, causing severe disruption for drivers.

Mike Peters, from Cornwall Council contractor Cormac, said a 200-300m (650ft-985ft) section had been affected by the "fairly major spillage".
He said: "Diesel does dissolve roads. The longer it is on it, the more the risk of the road needing to be resurfaced."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-26880747
 
Hundreds of chickens killed in M62 lorry crash

More than 1,000 chickens were killed when the lorry transporting them crashed into a safety barrier on the M62 in Greater Manchester.
The lorry was carrying 6,800 chickens when it crashed on the eastbound carriageway between junctions 11 and 12 at about 04:00 BST.
About 1,500 birds were killed, North West Motorway police said.
The majority of the chickens died from the impact of the crash but some were hit by cars, police added.

Michael Clarke, from the Highways Agency, said about 2,000 chickens "escaped on to the carriageway" and had to be recaptured.
"We drafted in as much manpower as we could from across the north west, and we had help from the police, the emergency services and the RSPCA," he said.
He said the incident was "unusual" in terms of the sheer number of birds involved.
"The more adventurous ones did manage to go quite far - I would suspect there are a handful still in adjacent fields," he added.

The agency is assessing damage caused to safety barriers.
Diversions were put in place around the exit for Birchwood and the Eccles Interchange with the M60.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27405467
 
M11 near Stansted partially reopens after spill

The northbound carriageway of a motorway in Essex has reopened after being shut when a lorry spilled chemicals across both carriageways.
The M11 southbound remains shut between junction eight for Bishop's Stortford and junction seven for Harlow while the "complex" clean-up continues, the Highways Agency said.

The overturned lorry has been recovered.
Essex Fire Service said the chemicals were not hazardous.

The motorway was closed in both directions near Stansted Airport from 17:10 BST on Thursday, with the northbound side opening at 06:00 BST on Friday.
The Highways Agency website said the roads was expected to fully reopen later this morning.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

The chemicals were identified as melamine formaldehyde resin and phosphoric acid.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: "We were there in an advisory capacity, chemicals were contained on site and drains blocked to ensure the material could not run off site.
"Chemicals were tankered away to be disposed of correctly. There is no evidence or reports of any environmental impact."

A diversion is in place, but motorists have been urged to avoid the area and find alternative routes.
Essex Police said the lorry driver received cuts and bruises but was "not believed to be seriously injured" and he was due to be interviewed later.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-28156759
 
It seems the Chemical Spill Genie is on the prowl:

Basingstoke hospital chemical spill burns staff

A chemical spill at a hospital left two members of staff with burns.
The men were badly injured in a store room in the Diagnosis and Treatment Centre at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital on Wednesday night.
Firefighters sent to deal with the spill said the men were exposed to a concentrated disinfectant containing highly corrosive peracetic acid.
The victims are receiving treatment. The hospital said it "will be reviewing our procedures".

Hospital chief operating officer Donna Green said: "Last night there was a small spillage of a chemical in a specialist store room in the Diagnosis and Treatment Centre at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital which resulted in two members of staff receiving minor burns.
"We have supported the staff involved in the incident and we followed the usual protocol for these situations which is to involve the fire and ambulance services.

"We can confirm that the staff involved the incident sustained minor burns, had immediate attention on site at the time, have seen a specialist and do not require further treatment.
"We take these matters very seriously and will be reviewing our procedures to see if there is anything we can learn from this."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-28142873
 
Firefighters clear petrol leak after car crash near Holsworthy
By NDJ Nicole
Posted: July 04, 2014

FIREFIGHTERS were called to clear a fuel leak near Holsworthy following a car crash this evening.
A team from Holsworthy were called to a crash on the A388 in Milton Damerel just before 7.30pm.

Firefighters found a large quantity of petrol had leaked across a blind bend on the road.
They slowed traffic down while they mopped up the fuel and cleared the scene.

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Fire ... story.html
 
This isn't really a common spill thread. Gas spills from wrecks happen thousands of times every day. Otherwise I could post everyday about fluid leaking from my truck. :D
 
Candle lorry fire coats A3029 in Bristol in wax

One of Bristol's busiest roads has partly reopened after a lorry carrying candles caught fire, depositing a pool of melted wax on the road.
Callers to the BBC reported hearing a "loud explosion" and seeing "large plumes of smoke" over the Cumberland Basin just after 16:00 BST.
Other eye witnesses reported pieces of debris landing in a nearby park.

The driver told the BBC the lorry was carrying 46 pallets of Yankee candles and was heading for Italy.
"I looked in my driver's mirror and I could see smoke, said driver Alan Feeney.
"I thought 'if I get out of the cab I can drop the trailer and save the load', but I couldn't. It just went up. There's a lot of flammable goods on it."

Avon and Somerset Police said it had reopened one lane of the outbound route following the "severe lorry fire" but the inbound route was expected to stay closed until later.

The A3029 Cumberland Basin system is one of the main traffic arteries in and out of the city towards Weston-super-Mare.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-28214845

(Video and photos on page)
 
10 July 2014 Last updated at 16:30

Bristol candle lorry fire road 'to fully reopen on Friday'

One of Bristol's busiest roads, which was shut after a lorry carrying candles caught fire, should be fully open by Friday morning, the council has said.
Brunel Way was closed during rush hour on Wednesday after the A3029 was left covered by a pool of melted wax.

Witnesses reported hearing a "loud explosion" and seeing "large plumes of smoke" over the Cumberland Basin just after 16:00 BST.
The driver said the lorry was taking 46 pallets of Yankee candles to Italy.

Part of the road into the city centre reopened on Wednesday evening but the majority of work to repair "significant damage" to the road surface was expected to take about 36 hours to complete.
New asphalt has now been laid and all lanes out of Bristol on Brunel Way are expected to be open "in time for the evening rush hour", said Bristol City Council.
The local authority also expects the road to be fully open in both directions by rush hour on Friday morning.

The council said the concrete structure of the bridge would need to be checked, with a "full repair" being carried out at "some point in the future".

...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-28243679

Who'd have thought candles could do so much damage... :shock:
 
BUTTERED ROAD

USA: A lorry overturned on a US motorway, spilling what police said was 20,400kg of butter and other dairy products.

The crash happened on the eastbound lane of Interstate 465 in Indianapolis. It left thousands of packages strewn across the highway.

Police said the truck driver apparently fell asleep and hit a highway barrier. No injuries were reported.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/quir ... 77956.html
 
STINKY SPILL

USA: State authorities have charged the driver of a truck that lost part of its load of expired meat outside an upstate New York mall, resulting in some irate motorists whose vehicles drove over the stinky spill.

The Post-Star of Glens Falls reports that the Albany man was charged with disposing of refuse on a highway.

Officials say the driver for Albany-based Baker Commodities was in the Queensbury area last month to pick up expired meat and grease from restaurants to take to a rendering plant. A door on the truck wasn’t secured and meat slid out as he drove up a hill.

Dozens of vehicles drove through the spill and wound up having to be cleaned.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/quir ... 83663.html
 
ROAD OUTHOUSE BLUES

USA: A major US highway was shut down after a truck carrying portable toilets crashed and spilled blue deodoriser on to the roadway.

California Highway Patrol Officer Matt Rasmussen told reporters the crash took place on southbound Interstate 280 in San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The truck overturned after crashing with a car that had spun out of control. Several other vehicles also crashed, but police said all injuries were minor.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/quir ... 91679.html
 
27 January 2015 Last updated at 09:45
Public warned against dining out on Belfast fish spill

_80510661_fishcatch.jpg

The spill provided a photo opportunity for one member of the public

People have been warned not to dine out on fish salvaged from the street after a lorry shed 600 mackerel in Belfast at the weekend.
The fish spilled off the lorry at the Ravenhill Road on Saturday night.
Some people were photographed filling bags with the mackerel, relishing the thought of free take-away fish suppers.

_80510068_fishmore.jpg

Hundreds of fish were scattered along the street

But Belfast City Council experts said this was unsafe.
"We would strong advise against the consumption of food where you are not clear as to its source or if it is safe to eat," a council spokesperson said.
"In any event, there is a possibility of the fish being contaminated through direct contact with the road, rendering it unfit for human consumption."
The spokesperson said the council's environmental health team had removed up to 600 fish from the area around the Ravenhill and My Lady's Road.

_80505442_fishspill.jpg

The sight that greeted motorists after the fish spill

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30997289
 
Fears hundreds of litres of diesel could have leaked into Hampshire nature reserve
by James Franklin, Political reporter
HUNDREDS of litres of diesel could have leaked into a Hampshire nature reserve.
Almost 2,000 litres of fuel leaked out of a tanker on the Nursling Industrial Estate overnight.
And while firefighters say they diverted most of it into tanks, there are fears some of it has leaked into the nearby Lower Test Marshes.

A crew from the Redbridge fire station and the environmental protection team from Romsey were called to the Health Records Centre off Mauretania Road at 7.05pm last night.
They found the tanker almost empty, but managed to plug the leak and divert most of the fuel away from the nature reserve into tanks.
However it is believed some of the fuel may have found its way into the marshes.

It is believed the tanker may have been damaged when another vehicle hit it, although the cause is still being investigated.
The fire crews handed over responsibility to the site's managers last night, and waste removal specialists and the Environment Agency are expected on site this morning.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/117...er_tanker_leaks_hundreds_of_litres_of_diesel/
 
The town that was turned into an ice-block - via "The Daily Mail"
A Siberian has town found itself, quite literally, frozen to the core, after its water main burst amid an ice cold storm.

Residents in Dudinka, central Siberia, emerged from their homes after a powerful storm to find their street frozen solid up to their waists.

The storm had burst several waterpipes in the town, and with temperatures dropping to -40C during the night, the water froze solid in the street.
2523FD0C00000578-0-image-m-80_1422455090679.jpg
 

Lorry crashes and spills Red Bull energy drink across the M6


Thousands of cans could be seen rolling in the southbound carriageway near junction 19 at Knutsford in Cheshire.

Motorists faced miles of tailbacks after the collision at around 11.20am on Wednesday morning.

The North West Motorway Police tweeted an image of the crash at midday. A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service said paramedics were called to the scene at 11.24am and two motorists were taken to hospital with minor injuries. No-one was badly hurt during the collision.
 
2 men hurt when semi-trailer full of human blood tips over

UPDATE:Police at noon Wednesday said the truck and trailer are still in the ditch off the southbound lanes of Oregon 58 and recovery efforts are underway. Flaggers are in place to keep traffic moving. The removal may not be completed until Thursday, officials said.

Two men were injured when a commercial truck loaded with 30,000 pounds of frozen human blood and plasma crashed near Oakridge early Wednesday morning.

About 1 a.m., a Freightliner truck towing a refrigerated trailer containing 100 cases of blood products left Oregon 58 west of Oakridge and tipped over into a roadside ditch, said Oregon State Police spokesman Lt. Bill Fugate.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...jured_when_semi-traile.html#incart_river_home
 
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