TONTITOWN -- Drivers should be careful on Klenc Road for the next few days, police said, because a truck spilled sewer sludge on the road Monday morning.
The spill was to be cleared Monday, but the roadway is expected to remain slippery for a few days.
Fast Facts
Tontitown Spills
The last reported spill in Tontitown was Aug. 28, 2012. It was an oil spill in the parking lot at La Bodega Wholesale Foods. The oil flowed across the parking lot and into a storm drain that flows into Brush Creek.
Source: Arkansas Department Of Environmental Quality
Waste covered both lanes along a one-mile stretch of the street, said Kristopher Arthur, city director of public safety. A truck driver was on his way to the Waste Management landfill in Tontitown when he turned the corner from Henri De Tonti Boulevard onto Klenc Road. The lift gate on the back of the truck opened, and waste spilled onto the road.
"It's a couple thousand pounds of human waste," Arthur said.
The waste was from the city of Huntsville, which has a contract for hauling with Jimmy Jones Excavation in Berryville to whom the truck belonged, according to a news release.
Tontitown officials originally thought it was a spill of chicken guts, but after investigating, found that it was human waste, Arthur said.
The Washington County Department of Emergency Management was contacted to help with cleanup efforts, Arthur said. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and the Arkansas Department of Health were also alerted, according to the release.
Sewage spills from trucks are uncommon, said Katherine Benenati, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. Spills are more common from sewage treatment plants and sewage systems.
The waste that spilled from the truck was sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, Benenati said. The only environmental concern is if the sewage gets into a waterway, which hadn't happened as of Monday afternoon. However, there is a small stream close by, Arthur said.
There will be no health risks as long as the spill is cleaned up, said Kerry Krell, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Health. Since the waste was already treated at a plant, it should be easier to clean up. Any minute amounts left will be diluted and wash away with the rain.
"The odor's not pleasant at all," Krell said, but shouldn't pose a health threat.
Officials with the city of Huntsville also helped with cleanup efforts, Arthur said. Staff from the city used a vacuum system to remove the waste.
Workers were to spread lime around the street once the rain stopped, Arthur said. The lime should help minimize the odor.
The Arkansas Highway Police is investigating the incident, according to the release.
NW News on 04/22/2014