Investigators are still trying to figure out who spilled as many as 300 gallons of sulfuric acid on the shoulder of a ramp leading to eastbound I-80 near Saltair last Friday.
But cleanup efforts should be finished and the ramp reopened by Thursday nightfall, they say.
The spill was discovered when crews arriving to address what was thought to be a grass fire found, instead, vapor rising out of the soil. Sulfuric acid is caustic and can melt tire rubber or burn flesh if it's touched, but the public is not at risk from the spill, said Teresa Gray, Salt Lake Valley Health Department bureau manager over water quality and waste.
SLVHD is investigating the spill, believed to be illegal dumping, she said, and must also sign off on cleanup efforts.
"It really damaged the shoulder area of the ramp to I-80," said Nile Easton, Utah Department of Transportation spokesman. Utah has hired a cleanup company to haul the contaminated dirt to the west desert where it will be processed. Meanwhile, the entire shoulder will be rebuilt. Easton said UDOT estimates that cost at about $10,000.
"We're definitely assisting and cooperating with the investigation," said Easton. "We're keenly interested so we can send a bill. If anyone saw anything, we'd love to hear about it."
Sulfuric acid is used in industrial and agricultural manufacturing industries, said Jana Kettering, spokeswoman for Kennecott, one of the companies that manufactures it. Because of the spill's proximity to their facilities, they're investigating whether the spill might have been caused by a truck leaving their site, but "in a nutshell, we have found no relationship to us," she said.
Pam Davenport, spokeswoman for SLVHD, said dumping is a federal offense. And the department can levy fines if they determine who is responsible.
E-mail: lois@desnews.com