No water contamination after fuel spill from tanker in DeKalb County
DeKalb County road reopens after tanker overturns
Browns Mill Road in DeKalb County reopened after a tanker carrying 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel overturned Friday morning. Police say the driver miscalculated a turn, causing the vehicle to run off the road and spill fuel into the surrounding soil. Officials reported no injuries and confirmed that local waterways were not contaminated.
LITHONIA, Ga. - Testing has found no contamination in nearby waterways after a tanker carrying thousands of gallons of diesel overturned on Browns Mill Road early Friday, according to DeKalb County fire officials.
What we know:
Crews have since uprighted the tanker, but Browns Mill Road remains closed in both directions near White Circle as the cleanup continues.
Officials said the majority of the fuel was contained either inside the tanker or in the surrounding soil. Crews are now working to remove contaminated soil from the area.
It remains unclear exactly how much diesel escaped from the tanker.
No contamination detected in water
What they're saying:
Water contamination had been a major concern after the crash because stormwater from the area flows toward Browns Mill Lake and the South River.
DeKalb County fire officials said testing has been completed and no contamination was detected in the water.
The tanker was carrying approximately 7,500 gallons of diesel when it overturned. The driver was not injured.
DeKalb County police told FOX 5 Atlanta that they believe the driver of the tanker was attempting to make a turn and miscalculated.
No contamination found after fuel spill
DeKalb County fire officials say testing found no contamination in nearby waterways after a tanker overturned and leaked diesel fuel. Crews have uprighted the tanker, but Browns Mill Road remains closed in both directions while contaminated soil is removed.
School bus routes disrupted
Big picture view:
The closure also caused problems for DeKalb County School District buses Friday morning.
All routes serving Murphey Candler Elementary School were affected, along with several routes serving Martin Luther King Jr. High School and Salem Middle School. Some stops associated with E.L. Bouie Theme School were also impacted.
The district said about six Exceptional Education students in the Klondike and Browns Mill Ferry Road area could not be picked up because buses were unable to reach their stops.
Busy road closed for several hours
Local perspective:
Browns Mill Road is frequently used by drivers trying to avoid congestion on Interstate 20, making the closure a significant disruption for the area.
"It's real busy. It's a real busy road," one nearby resident said. "Ever since traffic had pretty much been on 20, everybody kind of come through this way to avoid that."
The road was finally reopened between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m. Friday.
EARLIER REPORT
Overturned tanker spills fuel in DeKalb County
A tanker carrying about 7,500 pounds of diesel fuel overturned on Friday morning in the Lithonia area of DeKalb County. The road closure is causing delays for some students at nearby schools. Kim Leoffler reporting live from the scene.