Tanker truck carrying hazardous waste from East Palestine crashes in Ohio

About five gallons of hazardous liquid spilled onto a road in Geauga County, Ohio, after the truck carrying the waste crashed and ended up on its side. The hazardous material came from the site of a train derailment that happened in February 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio.

The crash was reported at 5:17 a.m. on January 2, 2024, according to a statement published by the Russell Township Fire Department. First responders found the truck off the road and on its side, and they say it took down a utility pole and several power lines. The circumstances of the crash remain unclear, and the driver was taken to a hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, but escaped the crash without significant injuries.

Firefighters closed part of Chillicothe Road for several hours to clean up the crash site, including what officials describe as “four to five gallons” of a Class-9 hazardous material that spilled from the truck. Some sources identified the liquid as contaminated rain water. The United States Department of Transportation groups miscellaneous hazardous materials, such as asbestos, under the “Class-9” label.

It could have been far worse: the truck was reportedly carrying approximately 5,000 gallons of hazardous liquid.

The truck was hauling hazardous material as part of an on-going effort to clean up the site of a February 2023 train crash in East Palestine. It was on its way to a disposal facility in the northwestern part of Ohio. Of the 51 train cars that derailed nearly a year ago, 11 spilled a total of 100,000 gallons of toxic waste including butyl acrylate. The accident was caused by an axle-related problem, according to the results of an investigation published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and it forced thousands of people to evacuate the area.