Public Notified of VA Paint Spill
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
On Saturday (Sept. 2), the Alexandria Fire Department in Virginia issued a public warning about a paint spill that had contaminated waterways near Monticello Park off of Old Dominion Boulevard.
According to local news reports, a resident notified the fire department Saturday morning of an unknown cloudy substance in the water that could be seen from the park’s walking trail.
The department’s Hazardous Materials team and the Fire Marshal’s Office reportedly performed an investigation at the scene, determining that the source of the substance was a storm drain near the intersection of Crestwood Drive and Old Dominion Boulevard.
Results of water testing helped investigators determine that the substance in the water was a latex primer paint material.
The Alexandria Fire Department has issued a warning after a reported paint spill contaminated the waterways in the area of Monticello Park off Old Dominion Blvd. https://t.co/c9KBjL7skk
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) September 4, 2023
The fire department reportedly canvassed the surrounding area for any potential witnesses to the spill. After conducting its investigation, it was determined that the spill was an accident.
According to the fire department, the local water supply was not affected by the spill, and that natural flushing of the waterway will remedy the situation.
The fire department reportedly encourages local residents to report any environmental concerns to the city’s website.
Other Recent Paint Spills
In late January, a delivery truck lost control and rolled over onto its side in Australia, spilling six tons of paint onto the highway.
While some reports described the spill as something “akin to a Jackson Pollock painting,” the Fire and Rescue New South Wales worked to clean up the paint and keep it contained to protect the local area from damage.
While one lane was shut down, crews worked to remove the water-based paint. Emergency services reportedly used shovels to create a dam to prevent the paint from travelling down the steep road.
Firefighters also used absorbent material and booms to contain the contents of hundreds of punctured paint cans. A heavy haulage recovery contractor righted and recovered the truck, Fire and Rescue NSW reported.
The driver was not injured, and there were no other vehicles involved in the incident.
In April of last year, several agencies in Austintown, Ohio, worked to clean up nearly 1,000 gallons of spilled yellow and white latex paint on a section of North Meridian Road.
As reported by The Vindicator, several drums of paint reportedly fell off the flatbed truck when the driver stopped abruptly to avoid another vehicle turning in front of him. At the time, the truck was on its way to the Mahoning County Engineer’s Office.
Austintown Fire Chief Andy Frost said officials spent seven hours working on the cleanup. Throughout that time, crews worked to keep paint from entering any sewer catch basins with the help of vacuum systems and absorbent clay granules.
Any dried paint was scraped, the surface was sanded, and all remaining materials were collected. Frost went on to note that the area has a protocol for cleaning up hazardous materials and that everything been disposed of properly.
After the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that no traces of paint made it to the water supply and cleaning efforts ceased, the scene was cleared. According to WKBN Channel 27 News, the driver of the flatbed has been cited on a charge of assured clear distance and his company will be responsible for paying the costs of cleanup.
Also in April of 2022, a truck owned by home improvement retail company Lowe’s accidentally dropped a container of white paint on Kelly Avenue in Edmond, Oklahoma, causing a large amount of white paint to splash on nearby cars.
As a result of the incident, Lowe’s called a cleaning contractor to handle the situation on the road. In addition, the retailer stated that anyone affected by the spill should call the store so that Lowe’s could place an insurance claim to take care of detail and repair costs.
And, in February last year, a 4,000-gallon tanker was reported to lose between 50 and 350 gallons of paint along East Fair Street in Kankakee, Illinois, while leaving a Valspar paint manufacturing plant, causing road closures.
At the time, the spill was reported to be the result of an unsecured hatch on the transportation vehicle.
Cleanups took place over the course of the weekend following the spill, with roadways reportedly opening in stages.
After cleanup efforts were completed, Kankakee Fire Chief Bryan LaRoche informed the Kankakee City Council that an estimated 450 gallons of waste product associated with the manufacture of paint had been spilled by truck hauling company, Action Enterprise.
Since then, The Sherwin-Williams Company-owned Valspar plant has received 34 claims. According to Daily Journal, of the 34 claims filed thus far, 33 are in relation to personal filings for damaged vehicles driving through the spill and one property damage suit as well.
While the spill was initially assumed to be the result of an unsecured hatch, officials are now reporting that the circumstances of the spill have not yet been determined.
LaRoche also informed reporters that Sherwin-Williams has been going “above and beyond” in working to rectify the issue.
Tagged categories: Accidents; Coating Materials; Coating Materials; Coating Materials - Commercial; Coatings; Environmental Controls; Environmental Protection; Health & Safety; Health and safety; Latex; Paint; PaintSquare; PaintSquare App - Commercial; Primers; water damage
