News Release 426

DEPARTMENT OVERSEES
LAWRENCE COUNTY ASPHALT SPILL CLEANUP

Volume 36-426

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 22, 2008 -- An emergency responder from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will be on scene today to oversee the cleanup of a Lawrence County tractor-trailer accident that released between 500 to 1,000 gallons of liquid asphalt Monday.

The department's Environmental Emergency Response section was contacted Monday afternoon by the Missouri Highway Patrol concerning an accident involving a tractor-trailer carrying an estimated 5,200 gallons of liquid asphalt.

The Highway Patrol reported that the truck, owned by Transwood, Inc., Omaha, left Highway 97 approximately 2 miles south of Highway 96 in rural Lawrence County.  It entered a farm field, where it lost between 500 to 1,000 gallons of liquid asphalt. No waterways were threatened by the spill.

The Department of Natural Resources dispatched the on-scene coordinator from its regional office in Springfield this morning to oversee the cleanup, which is being conducted by a contractor hired by the trucking firm. The asphalt cooled and hardened overnight, making the cleanup easier.

According to the most recent data, vehicle accidents account for 15 percent of the environmental emergency incidents reported to the department.

The department's Environmental Emergency Response section is called to the scene of more than 300 emergencies each year, including fires, traffic accidents, leaking storage tanks and other incidents that could have a negative environmental impact. The department's 24-hour spill line receives more than 1,600 incident reports annually.

To report an environmental emergency, including fuel spills, please contact the spill line at
573-634-2436. For more information, contact the Department of Natural Resources at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3443 or visit the department's Web page at www.dnr.mo.gov.

For news releases on the web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel.  For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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