Crews respond to chemical spill in Yalecrest neighborhood

SALT LAKE CITY — Hazardous materials crews responded to a chemical spill on Yalecrest Avenue (1080 South) Wednesday morning after neighbors noticed a chemical flowing down the gutter.

Hazmat crews showed up about 8:30 a.m. and discovered that it was an insecticide. A pesticide company was in the area spraying a yard to kill off bugs, but a hose ruptured on the truck and about 40 to 50 gallons of chemicals spilled into the gutter and started heading down the street.

“The crew quickly followed the leak down the gutter, found it, was able to stop it literally just a foot or two away from where it was going to get into a storm drain and get into the waterways up here, which have had plenty of problems with the oil leaks in the past,” said Salt Lake fire spokesman Mark Bednarik.

The chemical traveled about 300 yards down the street before it was stopped. It was diluted because it was about to be sprayed, which means it was less toxic. But the health department still has concerns because it is a poison and it doesn’t want pets or kids to get into it.

“Well I just trust that if it was a danger to us as residents we would have been notified,” Yalecrest resident Peggy Allen said. “I see there are efforts to clean it up, which I’m glad to see. Accidents happen. I wish it didn’t, but hopefully they’ll clean it up.”

An absorbent material was put down to soak up the chemical. The health department will decide if any fines come out of this spill.

Residents are relieved the chemical did not make it into Red Butte Creek, because that creek has already been through a lot with the recent oil spill. 

Last June a leak in a Chevron pipeline sent an estimated 33,000 gallons of oil into Red Butte Creek. Much of the oil pooled into a pond at the city's Liberty Park, and regulators say oil traveled downstream into the Jordan River.

A second but substantially smaller release of oil happened again in December, just 500 feet from the original spill site adjacent to Red Butte Gardens.

E-mail: rjeppesen@desnews.com