Jamestown, ND (KCSi-T.V. News) -- The Jamestown Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team responded to a hazardous materials spill about 9:40-a.m. Friday (Jul 23, 2010). Insecticide containers fell off a farm truck opening up on the interstate spilling about 15 gallons of the insecticide, Govern E4 and an emulsifier Trophy Gold.

City Fire Department Chief Jim Reuter said, the Jamestown City Fire Department’s Haz-Mat Regional Response Unit was called out at 9:45 a.m. to assist at the scene, of the spill that occurred eastbound on I-94 at mile marker 232, near Half Way Lake.

Friday, from the time of the spill until about 1:45 p.m., both lanes of the interstate eastbound were closed between Jamestown and Medina. About mid-afternoon Friday one eastbound lane was reopened eastbound, as a portion of the spill was moved off the roadway. The NDDOT reported late Friday afternoon,both lanes of the eastbound roadway on I-94 west of Jamestown are now open to traffic. One lane of the highway was opened earlier after a material spill required the road to be closed.
Dirt was put on the material to absorb it and then moved off the pavement.
Traffic remained open on the westbound lanes.

Friday morning, authorities were rerouting eastbound traffic from the interstate, from Medina to Jamestown starting at exit 228. The detour was to Highway 30, east to Highway 46, then north on Hwy 281 to Interstate 94.

The insecticide Govern is listed as a toxic material, which is an irritant, inhalation hazard, and flammable. The chemical is also toxic to fish. Trophy Gold is an emulsifier used to mix with the Govern. Reuther said the potential of chemical that could have spilled was 20 gallons of Govern, and 30 gallons of Trophy Gold. He said, it was not know how many gallons spilled onto the interstate. He said the chemical did not pose an inhalation threat at the scene. There was concern of the chemical entering water along side the roadway.

Reuther said in addition to the Jamestown Haz-Mat Regional Response Unit, with 12 fire department staff on scene, other agencies involved were: The North Dakota Highway Patrol, NDDOT, State Health Department, Department of Agriculture, all from Bismarck.
Helping with cleanup were the Jamestown City Fire Department, The Highway Patrol, and State Health Department.

The Medina Fire Department responded intially to the call, and remained on the scene supervising. The responsible party will dispose of the contaminated dirt that was laid down to absorb the pool of the toxic chemical on the highway.

He said this was the first response of the local Haz-Mat Unit, operating out of the Jamestown City Fire Department.
He added no injuries were reported.
The Highway Patrol is contining with the investigation.

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