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WEST HAVEN, Weber County — An open tank cap on a semitruck led to a mess on I-15 in Weber County on Monday afternoon, forcing the closure of a freeway exit due to a hazmat situation.
The truck, which was pulling a disposal tank full of oil and fuel, was northbound on I-15 and exited at 21st Street in Ogden shortly after noon, according to Deputy Chief David Reed with Weber Fire District.
He said the tank was pretty full, and the cap had not been put on the tank, so the hazardous liquids started spilling out as the vehicle turned along the exit ramp.
"It turned the road like black ice — they said it was as slippery as black ice," Reed said.
The deputy chief said Weber's hazmat team responded and was able to isolate the area and block off traffic to isolate the spill. There were no injuries due to the incident.
Reed said there could be hazardous liquids on the freeway stretching for as far as the truck was driving, but he was unaware of how far that was.
The Utah Department of Transportation has a sand truck to ensure there are not any dangerous areas along the freeway. The sand truck can help keep the road from being slippery until the cleanup effort reaches each area.
Utah Highway Patrol was working with the driver and the company that person works for, who will now need to hire someone to clean up the roads.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services is also involved in ensuring the situation is handled properly, which Reed said is common in incidents similar to this.
Correction: A previous version said the truck exited at 2100 North; it exited at the 21st Street exit, which is 2100 South.
