Truck rollover spills diesel on Glenn

By TRACY KALYTIAK

For the Frontiersman

CHICKALOON — A Big State Logistics Inc. tanker truck rolled Thursday afternoon on the Glenn Highway near Chickaloon, spilling about half of its 8,800-gallon load of No. 1 ultra-low-sulfur diesel.

The accident near Mile 78 was reported at about 4:10 p.m., according to Alaska State Troopers. It injured the truck’s driver, whose name has not yet been released.

“The tanker’s still sitting on the road up against the guardrail,” said Neil Huddleston, environmental programs specialist for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, at about 5:45 p.m. “It’s estimated that about half of it had leaked out as of 45 minutes ago. They’re still trying to button down the last of the hatches on top. It’s still leaking three to five gallons a minute. Fuel is flowing over the road right above the confluence of the Chickaloon and Matanuska rivers, just 50 yards shy of the Anchorage side of the intersection of Chickaloon Road and the Glenn.”

Huddleston said the fuel had saturated soil in a 70- by 10-foot area of a 45-degree, 200-foot embankment adjacent to the highway.

“As of 15 minutes ago — 5:30 p.m. — there still was no sign of fuel in the water,” Huddleston said. “Big State Logistics was mobilizing its response team from Valdez and DEC has two responders on the way also with some spill-response supplies. They should be on the scene, estimating 45 minutes or less.”

An ambulance reportedly took the injured truck driver to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

Troopers sent two commercial vehicle units and highway patrol, firefighters and medics also traveled to the scene, trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

An accident involving a tanker truck occurred near that same spot on the morning of Sept. 13, when a Crowley Petroleum truck traveling north on the Glenn Highway near Mile 84.5 collided with a guardrail, overturned and rolled 500 feet down a steep embankment.

Its tanker trailer detached, but the 40,000 pounds of liquefied propane it was carrying did not leak from the tank, according to DEC. Damage to the guardrail in that mishap was estimated at $10,000, troopers said.