NAPERVILLE, IL – A car wreck in Naperville’s Ashwood Park subdivision resulted in the rupture of chemical storage tanks, causing a hazardous materials spill on Wednesday.
According to Naperville Fire, the incident occurred at the clubhouse located in the 4500 block of Chinaberry Lane. The tanks contained sodium hypochlorite and muriatic acid, chemicals used to maintain the pool’s sanitary levels.
As a result of the collision, the hazardous materials quickly spilled out, and some of the product leaked into the storm sewer system, creating a noxious gas. Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) dispatched a special rescue team consisting of seven pieces of fire apparatus and 15 personnel to the scene. The incident commander immediately upgraded the alarm to a hazardous materials box alarm, and hazardous material teams from around the area joined the response.
HazMat technicians acted quickly to stop any further flow of materials, using vac trucks to remove materials from the storm drains, and flushing them with clean water. Sodium hypochlorite can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, while muriatic acid can cause burns to the skin and even dermatitis with prolonged exposure.
The teams worked closely with the Illinois environmental protection agency to assist with mitigation and final cleanup, which a third-party private HazMat contractor conducted. Although the car wreck resulted in the rupture of chemical storage tanks, thanks to the prompt actions of first responders, there were no reported injuries from the incident.
The cause of the vehicle collision is still under investigation.
