Hydraulic fluid spill closes Washington Street in downtown Ann Arbor
Washington Street between Fourth and Fifth was closed Monday afternoon for a hydraulic fluid spill.
Kyle Feldscher | AnnArbor.com
Note: Washington Street was reopened as of 2:15 p.m. Monday.
A hydraulic fluid spill closed Washington between Fourth and Fifth avenues in downtown Ann Arbor around noon Monday.
Fire officials at the scene said a cement truck blew a hose, sending liquid all over the roadway creating slick conditions.
Ann Arbor fire and police were at the scene just after noon while Washtenaw County HAZMAT was en route to begin cleanup efforts.
Officials did not immediately know when the street would reopen.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
mgoscottie
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 12:03 a.m.
Isn't water used for hydraulics?
OLDTIMER3
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 11:10 a.m.
A lo of hydraulic fluid is vegetable oil based.
Ignatz
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 7:26 p.m.
Seems like a lot of folks commenting on this have a Mississippi state of mind.
jcj
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 1:01 a.m.
I guess I hit a nerve eh,Kyle?
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 10:26 p.m.
Indeed.
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 6:24 p.m.
"The greatest imminent danger here is somebody slipping on the oil" Oil on a road create a huge danger of a car accident and loss of life. While you ponder the privitization dream and how long it would take for a private firm to be located, get a call, return a call, consider their profit margin, issue a quote, secure payment - all while the oil is flowing into the storm sewer and local waterways - a professional hazmat team has already removed the hazzard. They will likely send the bill to the cement company.
TinyArtist
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 12:53 p.m.
Hazzard -- a mythical town in a mythical county Hazard -- a dangerous thang what done happened
jcj
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 1:02 a.m.
2@Kyle Slipping and dying? Really?
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 10:25 p.m.
We don't need to enrich some private company in belleville, that may or may not be available on a timely basis. If there is oil on the downtown streets, it is a hazzard. Btw, the fire department rescues ducks in storm drains. We don't hire private companies for that either.
Kyle Feldscher
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 9:25 p.m.
jcj- Wouldn't fears about people slipping and dying make it more spectacular, not less?
jcj
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 9:01 p.m.
Kyle Seems the firefighters comments might have been part of the story. Unless that would have made the story less spectacular.
Kyle Feldscher
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 8:41 p.m.
not a billy - When I spoke to firefighters, they said they didn't want any bikers or motorcyclists going through there and possible slipping and falling on the road. So, it seems like that's exactly why the road was closed.
not a billy
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 8:30 p.m.
The amount of hydraulic fluid coming from a single line, onto the pavement, is not likely going to get into the storm drains. By the time FD got notified and arrived on the scene, the oil was probably spread out over the street, posing more of a surface cleanup rather than a flowing oil situation. Expediency is the key, however in this case most likely not required. The way the county haz mat team is set up to function, a private contractor could be on the scene in the same time. Companies are required to have a spill response plan that designates a contractor, worst case is that FD provides them with a list of resources to choose from. Nothing about privatization, simply a fact that municipal teams should not be doing cleanup. The cost of disposal can be tremendous, and the responsibility for payment is the spiller. Easier for a private to collect - they ask for a credit card or payment method at the front end. Haz Mat team has to bill, may or may not collect. Regarding the comment about oil on a road and huge danger of car accident and loss of life --REALLY?? Downtown AA, lucky to get up to 20 mph, an immediately recognizable situation. THEY SKY ISN'T FALLING CHICKEN LITTLE.
Ypsidoodle
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.
There are many such services that are hungry for such business. EQ is right in Belleville. Not really a stretch at all.
Brad
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 4:58 p.m.
Thanks. I just drove by there and wondered what was going on.
Kai Petainen
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 4:47 p.m.
Thanks for the update on this. Thanks to those working on it...
An Arborigine
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 4:44 p.m.
A HAZMAT crew for hydraulic fluid, isn't that overkill?
Ypsidoodle
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 8:05 p.m.
Most hydraulic oils are around 90% water. Does it require clean-up? Yes, it's slippery as hell. Does it require hazmat? No... Some floor dry will absorb it and it can then be safely disposed.
jcj
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 6:56 p.m.
It is definitely OVERKILL! It is HYDRAULIC fluid not acid!
haulin donkey
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 6:26 p.m.
A few bags of floor dry and a push broom should to the trick.
simply amazed
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 6:14 p.m.
The fluid was draining into the storm sewers. Washington is open now.
treetowncartel
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 5:49 p.m.
I believe the company is responsible for paying for the HAZMAT services, not sure though. so, seems to make sense to do it, also more practice for the people in that position. Just like the firefighters that rescued the kitten the other week.
not a billy
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 5:32 p.m.
Yes it is overkill, and it is NOT the responsibility of a municipal-based hazardous materials response team to clean up spills. The Washtenaw County Haz Mat team, if they were indeed called out, should be used for mitigating an emergency, stopping further harm/damage (human or environmental) of imminently dangerous hazards. The greatest imminent danger here is somebody slipping on the oil, falling down and offending the bystanders with some colorful language. The spiller is responsible for all clean up. Overzealous emergency response teams add unneeded costs, extend scene times, and waste valuable resources. And even more basic, hydraulic fluid is a "hazardous material" only in the broadest interpretation. Yes, it is an environmental issue, but once spilled (particularly on pavement), it is relatively easy to clean up. By the experts, the private contractors.
Ricardo Queso
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 5:29 p.m.
What did we ever do in the old days? How did we survive?
Billy
Mon, Aug 26, 2013 : 5:07 p.m.
Not at all, because the HAZMAT has all the specialized chemicals and equipment to collect whatever was spilled and try to prevent the least amount of it from seeping into the ground. They're the specialists for stuff like this.