Emergency Response, Battery Spill

KEMRON was contacted by the West Virginia Parkways Authority to respond to a semi-truck wreck at near Mahan, West Virginia. The truck was hauling approximately 750 lead acid batteries to Oshkosh Corporation for military trucks and industrial forklifts. The wreck resulted in damage and dislodging of many batteries releasing battery acid throughout the overturned semi-trailer and releasing an estimated 50 gallons of battery acid onto the roadway. Approximately 600 batteries had damaged casings from the wreck. Most batteries remained within the overturned trailer, but many were damaged and released battery acid within the trailer. KEMRON responded to the scene within one hour of being contacted. KEMRON technicians in Level C PPE and air purifying respirators (APR) assisted emergency personnel with the neutralization of battery acid in the I-77 roadway and within the overturned trailer. KEMRON coordinated the delivery of three rolloff boxes to the wreck site and KEMRON technicians manually moved 750 lead acid batteries from the roadway and trailer to the rolloff boxes safely and without incident. The rolloff boxes containing the batteries were properly manifested and transported to Eco-First in Lesage, WV for segregation allowing most batteries to be sent to Revere Smelting and Recycling in Middletown, NY for recycling, saving the client an estimated $100,000 in hazardous waste disposal cost.