KINGMAN – A hazardous materials incident prompted the twelve-hour closure of US 93 just outside Kingman over the weekend. All four lanes of the highway were reportedly closed near the SR 68 junction from about 5 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday.
Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesman Bart Graves said improperly secured plastic totes slid within the interior of a box trailer, causing a metal cage frame to pierce one of the tote’s plastic bladders.
Graves said about 100 gallons of nitric acid leaked from the punctured plastic container. “The remaining 20 gallons had to be pumped into another tote to secure the remaining product,” he said.
The driver of the commercial motor vehicle was the only person exposed to vapors from the spill. He reported no injuries but was transported to a hospital as a precaution.
“The area had no structures in danger of exposure to a vapor cloud of nitric acid,’’ Graves said. “The weather was calm, and the vapor cloud dissipated quickly above the roadway.”
DPS said hazmat violations were detected during the investigation. The agency said the Arizona Department of Transportation HazMat team will handle the environmental cleanup.
Dave Hawkins
