Arizona officials issue shelter-in-place order due to nitric acid spill

Feb 15, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer/Editor)

Orange smoke has spread across the skies of Tucson, Arizona, causing residents to shelter-in-place. Schools are closed and a main interstate has shut down.

That smoke is coming from an overturned truck carrying nitric acid. Video of the scene shows the truck on its side as the chemical spews out.

According to the University of Washington, the highly corrosive chemical can cause severe lung damage and irritation to the skin and eyes. Because of the hazmat spill, residents were told to stay home. They were also instructed to turn off heaters and air conditioners to prevent circulation of the toxic air.

This incident comes as residents in Ohio are set to express their concerns in a town hall meeting Wednesday night over the hazardous chemical spill caused by a train derailment.

People living in the town on the border of Pennsylvania have said their livestock are dying. Ohio wildlife officials say nearly 4,000 fish in local streams are now dead.

The Environmental Protection Agency is acknowledging a lingering odor in the air caused by vinyl chloride. Officials say the levels are lower than what is considered hazardous.

Tags: Arizona, chemical spill, Environmental Protection Agency, FDA, Ohio, train derailment

KARAH RUCKER: ORANGE SMOKE HAS SPEWED ACROSS THE SKIES OF TUCSON ARIZONA – CAUSING RESIDENTS TO SHELTER-IN-PLACE, SCHOOLS TO CLOSE, AND A MAIN INTERSTATE TO SHUT DOWN.

THAT SMOKE IS COMING FROM AN OVERTURNED TRUCK CARRYING NITRIC ACID. DRAMATIC VIDEO OF THE SCENE SHOWS THE TRUCK ON ITS SIDE AS THE CHEMICAL SPEWS OUT.

ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON – THE HIGHLY CORROSIVE CHEMICAL CAN CAUSE SEVERE LUNG DAMAGE AND IRRITATION TO THE SKIN AND EYES.

BECAUSE OF THE HAZMAT SPILL – RESIDENTS WERE TOLD TO STAY HOME AND ALSO TURN OFF HEATERS AND AIR CONDITIONERS TO PREVENT THE CIRCULATION OF THE TOXIC AIR.

THIS INCIDENT COMES AS RESIDENTS IN OHIO ARE SET TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS IN A TOWN HALL MEETING TONIGHT OVER THE HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL SPILL CAUSED BY A TRAIN DERAILMENT.

PEOPLE LIVING IN THE TOWN ON THE BORDER WITH PENNSYLVANIA HAVE SAID THEIR LIVESTOCK ARE DYING. OHIO WILDLIFE OFFICIALS SAY NEARLY FOUR THOUSAND FISH IN LOCAL STREAMS ARE FLOATING TO THE TOP DEAD.

AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY IS ACKNOWLEDGING A LINGERING ODOR IN THE AIR CAUSED BY VINYL CHLORIDE, BUT SAY LEVELS ARE LOWER THAN WHAT IS CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS.