Police activity Credit: Geralt / Pixabay.com
Upwards of 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from a tractor trailer early Monday morning along Bethlehem Pike in Upper Dublin Township, according to township officials.
First responders were dispatched around 6:06 a.m. to the 1100 block of Bethlehem Pike, according to Todd Stiertiz, deputy director of public affairs for the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety.
The truck’s fuel tank was punctured when it “went off road” at the intersection of Bethlehem Pike and Loch Alsh Avenue, according to the Monday morning statement issued by Upper Dublin Township. Officials estimated between 50 and 100 gallons of fuel spilled, some of which “entered a nearby storm sewer maintained” by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Representatives from the Upper Dublin Police Department, Fort Washington Fire Company, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and a private clean up contractor were among the responding agencies, Stieritz said. The county’s on-call hazmat officer was also notified about the situation. The circumstances leading up to the incident were unclear.
A portion of Loch Alsh Avenue, between Bethlehem Pike and Douglass Street, was shut down for site cleanup, but township officials said it reopened as of 11 a.m.
“Environmental experts on-site have confirmed that while any fuel spill is a serious matter, the amount involved was manageable and no lasting environmental impacts are expected. There is no concern for local water systems, and residents do not need to take any action,” a township spokesperson said in a statement.
