AVON — Potentially lethal fumes sent a trucker to the hospital and closed down a gas station Tuesday after 35 gallons of a toxic, syrupy liquid leaked out of a New Jersey-bound semi.

Emergency crews evacuated everyone in a 165-foot radius from the back parking lot of the Pilot station on state Route 611 near Interstate 90 after the chemical spill was discovered.

The dangerous leak was discovered about 3:20 p.m., when two truckers were trading their cargo-filled trailers, said Lorain Fire Chief Tom Brown, who served as spokesman for the 30 or so emergency agencies that sent crews to Pilot.

Brown said one trucker realized the liquid styrene resin he was hauling in 50 55-gallon drums and seven tote containers was dripping from the trailer. When the trucker opened the doors, the fumes first made him nauseous and caused him to vomit before knocking him unconscious.

The other trucker called for help, Brown said.

Avon Fire Chief Frank Root said management at Pilot didn’t know anything was wrong when about 40 emergency trucks from all over Lorain and western Cuyahoga counties swarmed into the parking lot with sirens blaring. Some drove from as far away as Columbia Township to help.

The unconscious trucker was rushed to Avon Emergency Care Center, where he was listed in stable condition a few hours later. Fire officials refused to release his name.

Two firefighters, clad in airtight yellow hazmat suits with breathing masks, ventured to a US Express semi-trailer behind the gas station to contain the styrene soaking into the pavement.

“The most difficult thing was not knowing what we had there,” said Root, who spent hours trying to identify the chemicals causing the hazard. “In the old days, we would have sent them in with air packs and regular firefighting gear. That wasn’t enough this time. … We didn’t know what we were dealing with.”

The hazmat team emerged from the truck just after 6 p.m. and reported that a single 55-gallon drum had ruptured and the chemicals had been contained. Brown said he was relieved that no more had leaked.

Brown said about 25 semis were detained while the spill was investigated and were allowed to leave after waiting in the parking lot about three hours. Only four — including the truck with the leak — had to stay in quarantine.

“The truck drivers weren’t too happy at being stuck here, and that’s understandable. They were all on a time schedule,” Root said.

He said that the final semis might have been exposed to the chemical, and that posed a danger because styrene is flammable. He said a spark could have ignited all of the spilled liquid plastic.

Kurt Kollar, on-scene coordinator for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said the styrene was most dangerous if breathed into the lungs, but even skin contact could cause major health issues.

After examining the US Express truck, he said all the evidence suggested the leak was an accident.

“It inconvenienced a lot of people, but nobody’s got a grave to visit later this week,” Kollar said.

He said the leak was caused when the load of containers in the truck shifted during transport.

That’s not unusual, he said. There are about 3,000 toxic spills each year in the 16-county area he patrols with the EPA, and about 5,000 statewide, he said.

Based on his experience, Kollar said the cleanup bill for the leak might total about $40,000. Root said he intends to make US Express pay for the cost of the emergency response, including the time of all of the agencies that assisted.

The semi trailer was escorted by police and firefighters about a mile and a half to Chemtron in Avon for decontamination.

Crews remained behind to douse styrene puddles in the parking lot with water, then put down kitty-litter-like clay granules to soak up everything. Kollar said that if residue remains, workers might return to Pilot today to steam-clean the pavement.

Tom Kelley, director of the Lorain County Emergency Management Agency, said he was relieved that the spill turned out to be much smaller than originally feared.

“It had potential to be bad,” he said.

The gas station was open again by 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Contact Jason Hawk at 329-7148 or jhawk@chroniclet.com.

 

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