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CLEARFIELD — A tanker carrying hydrofluorosilicic acid — the solution put in drinking water to fluoridate the water — went off the road near Hill Air Force Base, tipping the truck and its tank.
Around 11 a.m. Friday, a tanker driver was attempting to back into the delivery area of a drinking water tank on State Road 193 at approximately 2100 East near when he hit a soft spot of the shoulder.
"This caused the tank to tilt and made it impossible to unload making it dangerously unstable," said Mark Sessions with the North Davis Fire District.
The tank was filled with hydrofluoric acid, and the driver felt uncomfortable moving the truck without assistance, Layton City Fire Department Marshal Dean Hunt said.
No acid was spilled thanks to the quick actions of Weber Basin employees who were able to quickly secure the trailer and call emergency personnel, Sessions said.
"Like most chemicals, chlorine and everything else, at certain concentrations, is hazardous to human health and human life. So that's the precaution," Hunt said.
A hose was brought in to empty the acid into the water tank to which the driver was delivering it. Crews unloaded most of the tank before righting the truck.
State Route 193 at 1500 East in Clearfield and Hill Field Road were closed for several hours as a precaution but were reopened after the tanker was righted. Additionally, Hill Air Force Base residents, located west of the potential spill, were asked to stay in their residences until notified.
