Tanker spills 25 tons of tar

By CHRISTINA BRIGHT, cbright@newsandsentinel.com
SILVERTON — A tanker carrying hot liquid tar tipped over on the Interstate 77 northbound on-ramp at Silverton Thursday morning, spilling its contents into a nearby creek.

The tanker, owned by Ralph Burns and Sons, was being driven by Roger Plants, 47, of Point Pleasant. According to Trooper D. Herdman of the West Virginia State Police, “speed appears to have been a factor” as Plants took the turn onto the Silverton on-ramp too quickly. The accident happened just before 10 a.m.

Herdman said when the tanker flipped, the valves appear to have ruptured, causing the hot liquid tar being hauled to spill onto the ramp and into a nearby stream that runs along Fleshers Run. Walt Smittle, director of emergency services in Jackson County, said 25 tons of tar used in asphalt was spilled. Herdman said the tanker was not overloaded.

The Department of Environmental Protection was called to the scene to assist with the cleanup. While the spill posed obvious concerns for the DEP, Herdman said having the tar spill is better than having diesel fuel spill as tar does not saturate the ground. He said once the tar cools, workers are able to essentially “roll it up like a carpet.”

Smittle said the spilled tar presents no health hazard. He said DEP has dammed the stream to keep the tar from flowing elsewhere, and the spill is being contained.

Plants was taken to Jackson General Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and was released about 3 p.m. Herdman said Plants was not cited in the accident.

Herdman said traffic was rerouted to Medina or turned back southbound to Ripley until the tanker could be removed. Two wrecker services were called to the scene and the tanker was removed about 2 p.m. Herdman said DEP was then allowing traffic onto the ramp using the burm to avoid the tar that remained on the road.

In addition to DEP and the State Police, the Silverton Fire Department, Department of Transportation and Division of Highways responded to the scene.