Truck spills over 100 gallons of grease on road

Open valve on truck leaks animal fat on several roads.

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By Katie Wedell, Staff Writer 10:34 PM Thursday, February 16, 2012

A truck disposing of used animal fat and grease from two local fast food restaurants left a mess on several roadways Thursday when a valve was left open while the truck was rolling.

A spokesman for Showcase Enterprises, the Indiana company tasked with the cleanup along with the Ohio EPA, said more than 100 gallons of grease was spilled over an area of about 10 to 13 miles of road between Fairborn and Dayton. The result created black ice-like conditions.

Dayton street crews were alerted to the grease spill near the Wendy’s restaurant on Wayne Avenue at about 9 a.m. They poured sand over the grease to contain it.

“The sand is used to keep the oil from causing the road to be super slick,” said Showcase Enterprises’ Brent Cohoon. “Without the sand, (cars) would sit and spin and slide into each other.”

The Ohio EPA was called in at about noon to help with the cleanup. Officials with the agency have said the grease is not a major environmental issue.

The cleanup, which was expected to last well into Thursday night, included collecting waste water contaminated with grease from storm drains and sweeping the streets of remaining sand and grease.

The spill began at the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, 2776 Centre Drive in Fairborn, around 5:30 a.m. An environmental hauling truck operated by Mahoney Environmental then took a route from North Fairfield Road to Interstate 675 to U.S. 35. It exited at Keowee Street and took Wayne Avenue to the Wendy’s.

Cohoon said this was a large scale spill. “Usually the driver detects a problem or makes much more frequent stops and realizes there’s a problem so the cleanup is much smaller,” he said.

Roads remained open during the cleanup, but the entrance to Beavercreek Towne Center from New Germany Trebein Road was temporarily closed.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2124 or kwedell@coxohio.com.

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