Uncategorized
Tractor-trailer spills liquid asphalt in Gallatin Canyon
Published
9 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Tyler Allen Explore Big Sky Senior Editor
BIG SKY – Just after 7 a.m. this morning, a tractor-trailer towing more than 9,000 gallons of liquid asphalt lost its secondary trailer in a ditch on the west side of Highway 191 in Gallatin Canyon. The “pup” trailer was torn apart and began spilling its 3,000-gallon payload.
The southbound truck rounded a sweeping corner and began climbing a gradual hill near mile marker 39 when the driver Sam Hulet felt the smaller of two trailers pulling his rig off the road.
“I felt the pup pulling to the right [and] I thought it was going to pull me in [the ditch] with it,” said Sam, a driver for Johnny B Transport based in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He fought to keep the rig on the pavement as the tongue of the trailer sheared off from the primary trailer, sending the tank crashing into the ditch.
The outer shell of the tank – and the insulation beneath it – was ripped off on impact, and a seam on the rear of the inner tank failed, spilling its molten contents across the highway from the Gallatin River on the west side of the road.
“[The driver] tried to ride it out and bring it back up,” said Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Brad Moore, citing his initial investigation. “He didn’t go into the other lane at all which is great. There was a lot of torque put on [that truck].”
Four hours after the spill, the liquid asphalt – which comes from crude oil – was still bubbling and steaming behind the makeshift dam that Sam and his brother John had built to contain the spill. John was driving his own double oil tanker ahead of Sam when the accident occurred. He turned around at 320 Ranch and came back to help his brother slow the spill with dirt and insulation that was ripped out of the mangled tanker.
“They did a great job of digging and making a dam to maintain the spill as best they could,” Trooper Moore said. “They checked to see if there were any culverts to make sure it’s not going to go in the river.”
John said spill remediation isn’t part of their driver training, but they worked fast to keep the asphalt from reaching the Gallatin.
The load was en route from Laurel, Mont. to Blackfoot, Idaho, a trip the brothers say they take four times a week. The liquid asphalt is loaded into their rigs at 360 F, according to John, and is about 320 F when it reaches Blackfoot.
The incident was reported to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality by the Department of Disaster and Emergency Services, which estimated that all 3,000 gallons had leaked from trailer, according to DEQ Environmental Enforcement Specialist Shasta Steinweden. She said the report indicated there would be no impact to the river.
“Asphalt usually hardens pretty quickly,” Steinweden said.
“If you’re going to have a spill, this is a pretty good spot for it,” Trooper Moore said. “And no one was hurt. That’s big.”
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm