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Highlands Today

Hazmat crews clean up Hendry County spill

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: August 28, 2009

Roads were closed for five hours Thursday in Hendry County as hazmat crews cleaned up manganese nitrate and iron nitrate that fell from a Lake Placid truck driver's rig.

Alan G. Wade, 61, of Lake Placid, was hauling two tanks containing the fertilizers northbound on U.S. 27. As he turned onto State Road 80, the tanks fell from the trailer and spilled several hundred gallons of the chemicals onto the road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The southbound lanes of U.S. 27 and the eastbound lane of SR 80 were closed as hazmat teams came to the scene at noon to start the cleanup.

By 3 p.m., the southbound U.S. 27 lanes were reopened, but motorists were advised to use caution as they entered the area.

The hazmat team and the Department of Environmental Protection said there is no danger to the public, according to the FHP.

There were no injuries reported, but Wade was charged with failure to secure a load by the Department of Transportation's Motor Carrier Compliance.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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