We have all heard the phrase “don’t cry over spilled milk,” but you would definitely cry if that incident got categorized as a hazardous material spill. When a milk tanker and its 4,500 gallons of farm-fresh milk overturned outside Somerset, Kentucky, 10 local emergency response agencies responded to the crash.
The rollover happened at the intersection of Highways 80 and 914 west of Somerset. The driver had to be extricated from the truck cab and its trailer ruptured, spilling the massive amount of milk like a tidal wave into the storm drains along the roadway.
The driver was transported to a local hospital for examination, and several emergency management agencies, including Somerset Fire, Somerset Police, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and officials with the Pulaski County Health Department went to work on the spill.
According to a Facebook post by Somerset/Pulaski County Special Response, “A dam was made to contain the majority from getting into a storm drain and then into a local stream. Milk in this quantity can be a danger to aquatic life as well as bacteria issues so it is treated as a hazard.”
Milk in large amounts can be classified as a pseudo-oil spill due to the lipid content in the liquid. Lipids stick to the surface of whatever they come in contact with and require chemical degreasers to remove.
Standing milk can also cause bacterial growth with can cause water-borne illnesses to spread. Large amounts in rivers and streams can harm fish and other wildlife.
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