Overturned Tanker Spills Gas Near Water Supply
DILLON, Colo. (CBS4)- It's been several days since a tanker rolled over on Loveland Pass and spilled thousands of gallons of gas and it still may be weeks before the environmentally hazardous situation is cleaned up.
The Snake River is nearby and Denver gets some of its water supply from that area.
Trucks are routed over Loveland Pass year round because it's just too dangerous to have them travel through the Eisenhower Tunnel.
The most recent rollover happened on a tight hairpin turn on Highway 6.
A hazardous crew from the Lake Dillon Fire Department rushed to the scene on Saturday night where they were able to stop the spill and make sure it was contained.
Those crews handed it over to a contractor which barricaded drainage ditches. They will also remove the contaminated dirt that soaked up much of the spill.
That has people concerned because of the fragile environment at 11,000 feet elevation which has a short grow cycle for vegetation.
They are also concerned about contamination of the water supply.
The water was tested after the spill and officials will continue to test the water over the next few weeks. So far all of the test results have come back negative.
The driver of that tanker is from Thornton. He was cited for careless driving. He was treated for minor injuries.
