Hazardous liquid asphalt spills from tanker truck in the Bronx; cleanup underway
HUNTS POINT, the Bronx (WABC) -- The sticky black substance oozing onto Tuxton Street looked straight out of a movie scene.
On Wednesday afternoon, the FDNY responded to a hazardous spill in the industrial Bronx neighborhood of Hunts Point.
A punctured tanker sprayed the road with the thick, oil-like material known as liquid asphalt -- ironically used to repair cracks in roads, now only creating a hazardous mess.
FDNY workers quickly arrived at the scene to cordon off and contain the growing slick.
Hot liquid asphalt is dangerous to come into contact with. One responding firefighter was treated for a minor injury.
"There were 35 tons in the tanker itself. We're unsure how much got out," said FDNY Battalion Chief Walter Kowalski. "It is like glue. Extremely sticky, and dangerously hot."
"It's a hot day to begin with, and it just made it hotter for us over here," said Carl Cuebas, a truck driver who works in the area. "They closed off up the streets and they're gonna clean it up, hopefully."
Luckily, the spill wasn't near any homes or major thoroughfares.
"We turned it back over to the responsible party, the trucking company, and they're going to be taking care of the cleanup at this point," Kowalski said.
State and city environmental agencies are also monitoring the spill site.
The hope is that the asphalt will cool overnight, and that it will become easier to scrape up.
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