A strip of US 70 was closed for about 14 hours Sunday, as officials tried to clean up a mix of oil and kerosene that spilled onto the roadway. Environmental experts were also working to prevent seepage and to monitor water and soil samples.
That area of US 70 will be closed periodically for the next few days while EPA and a cleanup crew work on the problem.
The gas tanker ran off the road, overturned and clipped a power pole. CP&L had to cut power to about 400 customers.
The truck was carry 9200 pounds of fuel; 2500 of which was kerosene, the rest gasoline. About 750 gallons was recovered, the rest leaked into area ditches. The accident occurred near a stream, and the fuel did get into wetland areas for about a mile. Six hundred bales of straw were put down in the ditches and in Holt's pond to retard spread. Liquid gasoline is still floating on the pond's surface.
Fifteen homes weres evacuated. The driver was treated for minor injuries and released.
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