A truck carrying around 40,000 pounds of contaminated soil from the site of a train derailment in Ohio, which saw officials release toxic chemicals into the area to prevent an explosion, overturned on a highway this week, officials said.
The commercial vehicle was headed northbound on State Route 165 when it careened off the roadway and overturned onto its right side, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency said in a statement, citing the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The incident unfolded Monday in Unity Township, NBC affiliate WFMJ, which is based in Youngstown, Ohio, reported.
The driver sustained minor injuries in the incident and around 20,000 pounds of the contaminated soil spilled onto the roadway and berm, the emergency management agency said.
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The Ohio EPA determined that the spill had been contained and was not considered a threat to nearby waterways, the emergency management agency said.
A local fire rescue team and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency responded to the crash, it said.
The driver was cited for operating a vehicle without reasonable control, WFMJ reported.
Earlier Monday, the emergency management agency had that around 17,300 tons of excavated soil was ready for removal from East Palestine. It said 19,900 tons of soil had already been removed.
The Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine sparked major backlash within the community, including a number of lawsuits alleging that the controlled release of toxic chemicals put the health and safety of residents at risk, with some reporting lingering coughs, chest pain and other symptoms.
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The federal government sued Norfolk Southern, the rail company involved in the incident, in March, blaming it for the derailment and the subsequent release of toxic chemicals.
The Justice Department, acting on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, filed the civil complaint around two weeks after the state of Ohio took similar action against the rail company.
Since the derailment, a number of trains have derailed across the country, deepening concerns about rail safety in the U.S.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
