Gasoline Release on a Kentucky Two-Lane
At 2:10 a.m. on a two-lane road near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, a passenger car runs a stop sign and strikes the rear of Dale’s DOT 406 cargo tank truck. The tank is loaded with 7,500 gallons of UN1203, Gasoline (Class 3, PG II). The rear emergency valve shears off, and an estimated 80–100 gallons of gasoline has spilled onto the shoulder and into a ditch. There is no fire. The car’s driver has a cut on the forehead and is walking around. Dale has a shipping paper, ERG, fire extinguisher, and a small spill kit. The tank is placarded FLAMMABLE. A bystander is smoking about 50 feet away. Dale calls 911, then wants to put on gloves and try to plug the valve with a wooden wedge. His dispatcher asks him to “just get the truck off the road so traffic can move.”
1. What immediate notifications and reports are required for this incident, and why?
Read the worked answer
Dale must call 911, which he has done, and notify his carrier. Because gasoline is a hazardous substance with a reportable quantity and an estimated 80–100 gallons has been released, the carrier must make an immediate notification to the National Response Center. State and local emergency responders also need the information. The release from a cargo tank and the injury to the other driver may trigger the hazardous materials incident reporting requirements, including the written incident report. The shipping paper’s emergency response number is for response information, not a substitute for NRC notification. Dale should not wait for the dispatcher to decide; federal notification is time-sensitive.
2. What should Dale do at the scene about the leak, the smoker, and the dispatcher’s request to move the truck?
Read the worked answer
Dale should not try to plug the valve unless he is trained, has proper tools, and can do it without risking his life. Gasoline vapors are flammable and the valve is damaged; moving the truck could increase the release or create sparks. He should tell the smoker to extinguish the cigarette and move everyone upwind and away from the ditch. He should keep the scene closed and let firefighters and hazmat responders control the leak. The dispatcher’s request to move the truck for traffic is not a reason to create more danger; only the incident commander should order movement for life safety.
3. What information should Dale give responders from the shipping paper and ERG?
Read the worked answer
He should give responders the shipping paper and point out the FLAMMABLE placard. The key information is UN1203, Gasoline, Class 3, PG II, 7,500 gallons, and the emergency response telephone number. The ERG guide for gasoline is Guide 128, which identifies flammable liquid hazards, vapor danger, and water pollution. He should also tell them the tank is a DOT 406 cargo tank and the rear emergency valve is damaged. Responders need to know the product, quantity, location of the leak, and whether anyone is injured. Dale should keep the paper with him and not leave the scene until released.