A tanker truck carrying roughly 800 gallons of sodium hydroxide solution overturned at the intersection of Addsco Road and Dunlap Drive in Mobile on November 20, 2019, sending hazardous-materials crews scrambling to contain an unknown amount of leaking fluid.
Mobile Fire-Rescue said crews were called to the scene around 4:24 p.m. after a single vehicle hauling the caustic chemical solution flipped in the roadway. The driver was treated for minor injuries and transported to a local hospital, according to the department.
Cleanup Crews Take Over the Scene
Because the load involved a corrosive industrial chemical, a third-party cleanup contractor was brought in to handle the spill, with Mobile Fire-Rescue hazmat teams standing by and overseeing mitigation of the scene.
Sodium hydroxide — commonly known as lye — is a highly corrosive substance used in manufacturing and water treatment, and spills involving large quantities typically require specialized containment to keep runoff out of storm drains and nearby waterways. Officials did not immediately say how much of the solution escaped the overturned vehicle.
No other vehicles were reported involved in the crash, and authorities did not announce any road closures beyond the immediate intersection while the cleanup was underway.