GARNETT — Authorities continue to look for answers after an unknown chemical was leaked onto roughly two miles of streets within Garnett on New Year’s Eve.
The unknown substance apparently came from a white box truck, starting at the intersection of Park and Maple streets at the north edge of town, south to Sixth Street, and then east to U.S. 169, where the truck then apparently headed south on the highway.
The spill was reported at about 6 p.m. Wednesday evening, according to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department.
While investigators have obtained images from business security cameras along the route, the truck did not display any company name or identifying markings, and a license plate was not visible in the footage, the Woodson County Department of Emergency Management reported.
Within minutes several vehicles unknowingly were exposed to the spill, splashing through the remnants of the thick, clear liquid, leaving a sticky residue on the surface. The substance had no noticeable odor.
Subsequent testing revealed the “basic, corrosive: liquid” had a high level of alkalinity.
The Kansas Department of Transportation, under the direction of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, applied absorbent material to the roadway to help prevent the material from spreading.
There is no indication the substance entered the city’s wastewater system, nor is there any indication that air quality and drinking water have been affected.
Nevertheless, the KDHE officials issued a stream advisory for the city’s stormwater drainage system, extending to the confluence of Garnett’s North Lake. Residents are advised to avoid contact with the affected waters.
Children and animals should not enter the stormwater drainage system or North Lake.
AS MANY as 116 vehicles may have been exposed to the chemicals, Emergency Management Director Sarah Burkhart told the Register.
The EPA has a special cleaning station for affected vehicles set up through 7 p.m. Wednesday, at the Bulldog Car Wash building in Garnett, at 105 N. Maple St.
Those whose vehicles may have been affected are asked to report the exposure at (785) 822-8584.
