50 Tons Of Human Waste Spills Along I-75 When Semi Loses Load
AUBURN HILLS (WWJ) - A big mess along I-75 in Oakland County may sound gross — but it's no danger to public health, according to police.
Northbound I-75 was reduced to two lanes Wednesday near the Chrysler Dr. exit, north of M-59, after a semi truck hauling two trailers carrying an estimated 50 to 55 tons of solid human waste overturned.
Auburn Hills police said the trailers lost their loads off to the side of the freeway, but stressed that this is "treated human waste," so it is not a hazardous materials situation.
No one was injured in the crash that occurred at around 10 a.m.
A company has been called in to clean up the spill, police said, but the cleanup will not begin until after the evening rush hour to avoid causing a jam.
Traffic backups were reported immediately following the accident, but all lanes of the freeway reopened by around 2:30 p.m.
Crew members speaking to WWJ Newsradio 950's Jon Hewett at the scene said a complete cleanup was expected to take days.
"This is not a quick fix," Hewett reported. "Whether there is an environmental issues with it is still unclear."
The waste was headed to a landfill. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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