All roads surrounding the Annapolis hazardous material incident this afternoon have been re-opened after 4.5 hours of being closed.
Emergency crews received a call of a potential incident shortly after 5:00pm. The driver of a tanker truck was headed west on Route 50 and noticed the leak. He pulled over under the overpass that takes Route 50 East traffic up to I-97 North and called 911.
When crews arrived on the scene, the driver advised that he was transporting a chemical called Isophthaloyl Chloride which is used in fiberglass and polymer production. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) can be viewed by clicking here (7 Page PDF). The driver was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore for a possible inhalation injury.
Initially, westbound Route 50 was closed and it was soon followed by the closure of eastbound Route 50 and ultimately I-97 in both directions. Traffic coming off of Route 665/Aris T. Allen Boulevard was diverted onto Route 50 eastbound. Shoppers were able to avoid the jam up by exiting on Bestgate Road to Route 50 East and up Route 2. Traffic on all of the secondary roads was a nightmare.
Emergency crews secured the area and secured the truck making sure it was safe to move. A replacement driver was brought in and required special codes from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company to unlock the emergency brakes. Once done, it was discovered that the battery had died. SHA crews came in and jump started the tanker which was taken to the Park N Ride on Route 424 in Davidsonville.
The Maryland Department of the Environment will be handling the final details of this incident from the Park N Ride.
