A group of residents of Pima County in southern Arizona have been ordered to evacuate or shelter-in-place after nitric acid spill caused by a crash in south Tucson.
The crash reportedly involved a truck tractor pulling a box trailer that overturned and rolled on its side and released liquid nitric acid. The driver’s condition is not currently known.
People within a half mile of the site of the spill have been directed to evacuate, while people within a mile of the site have been directed to shelter-in-place. People in the area have been asked to turn off their air conditioning and heating units to avoid bringing outside air into their buildings.
According to reporting from the Arizona Daily Star, multiple schools were affected by the crash. The University of Arizona Tech Park also evacuated, while some schoolchildren in Rita Ranch sheltered-in-place.
The Tucson Fire Department, the Pima County Office of Emergency Management, Arizona DPS, and the Department of Public Safety’s Hazardous Materials Response Unit are all working in tandem to respond to the incident, which has seen orange-yellow smoke billow into the sky near the site of the crash.
The Tucson Fire Department tweeted on Tuesday evening that a portion of Interstate 10 will remain closed for the forseeable future. The Arizona Department of Public Safety wrote on its website that motorists should anticipate an “extensive” closure.
The spill comes the community of East Palestine, Ohio appears to be in serious danger following a train derailment that prompted the release of a number of toxic chemicals. Residents of East Palestine and nearby towns have been ordered to evacuate their homes as well.
