Oceanshore Boulevard fully reopened after 300-gallon sulfuric acid spill

The shoulder of the road remained barricaded for safety reasons the morning of April 22.


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  • | 11:24 a.m. April 21, 2016
The container spilled about 300 gallons of acid on the east side of Oceanshore Boulevard just north go the intersection with State Road 100. (Photo courtesy of the Flagler County communications office)
The container spilled about 300 gallons of acid on the east side of Oceanshore Boulevard just north go the intersection with State Road 100. (Photo courtesy of the Flagler County communications office)
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UPDATE: 10:30 a.m. April 22:

The following is an edited news release from the Flagler County communications office:

Oceanshore Boulevard fully reopened the night of April 21 after workers finished neutralizing a 300-gallon sulfuric acid spill that closed the road for hours after a container of acid tumbled off a truck and cracked open, spilling onto the road and its sandy shoulder.

TME Enterprises, a contractor for the Department of Transportation, fully reopened Oceanshore Boulevard at 11:15 p.m. April 21, declaring the roadway to be “fully operational,” Flagler County Emergency Manager Steve Garten said the morning of April 22.

The Flagler Beach Public Works Department has the shoulder barricaded as TME is still on site, Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom said.

SWS Environmental Services, a contractor for the Dumont Chemical Company responsible for the spill, will do a “final walk-through” before the restoration work is deemed complete.

“We have the area barricaded for safety reasons,” Newsom said. “Our goal is to have the barricades removed and everything back to normal by the end of the day.”

UPDATE: 5:30 p.m. April 21:

The following is an edited news release from the Flagler County communications office:

The Florida Department of Transportation has reopened a portion of Oceanshore Boulevard in Flagler Beach as workers excavate sand near the aftermath of a 300-gallon sulfuric acid spill that closed a portion of the road for hours April 21.

The spill happened at about 9:38 a.m. in the morning when a chemical company truck lost its load at the intersection of Oceanshore Boulevard and State Road 100.

SWS Environmental Services, a contractor for the Dumont Chemical Company responsible for the spill, is  excavating the neutralized sand along the roadway at the intersection.

“The traffic along A1A is two-way, but the northbound lane is narrow as crews continue their work,” Flagler County Public Safety Emergency Manager Steve Garten said. “There may still be some delays in the area.” 

The shoulder will be filled with replacement sand when the excavation is complete. TME Enterprises, a contractor for the Department of Transportation, will given final approval of the full opening of State Road A1A.

Flagler County Public Safety Emergency Manager Steve Garten said shortly before 2 p.m.that once cleanup was complete, the Department of Transportation would determine whether the integrity of Oceanshore Boulevard had been compromised before reopening it.

Charges against the driver are pending as the investigation continues, Flagler Beach Police Captain Matt Doughney said.

ORIGINAL STORY:    

The following is an edited news release from the Flagler County communications office:

An Apopka chemical company lost its load at the intersection of State Road 100 and Oceanshore Boulevard April 21, spilling 300 gallons of a sulfuric acid solution and closing a portion of Oceanshore Boulevard. There were no injuries and no evacuations.

A skid holding the container slipped off a flatbed truck belonging to the Dumont Chemical Company of Apopka at 9:38 a.m., spilling the 50% sulfuric acid solution. The Department of Environmental Protection has been notified and the St. Johns County Fire Rescue Hazmat team is at the scene to contain the spill.

Motorists are asked to avoid the area east of Central Avenue and between 4th Street to the north and 5th Street to the south. The boardwalk has been taped off and bathers are being directed to stay either to the north or the south of the area.

“The Department of Transportation has been notified,” Flagler County Public Safety Emergency Manager Steve Garten said. “This did impact about three feet of the roadway.” 

The chemical will be neutralized at the instruction of the Department of Environmental Protection to expedite opening the roadway.

Responding units include: Flagler Beach Fire Department, Flagler County Emergency Management, Flagler County Fire Rescue, Flagler Beach Police Department, Flagler Beach Fire Police, Palm Coast Fire Police, as well as St. Johns County Fire Rescue Hazmat team.

More information will be released as it becomes available.

 

 

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