Arizona state officials reinstated a shelter-in-place order Wednesday morning for residents near Interstate 10 outside of Tucson following an incident that caused a hazardous materials spill in the area.
A commercial tanker truck carrying nitrous acid struck the freeway median and overturned on I-10 southeast of downtown Tucson Tuesday afternoon, killing the driver and spilling the acid onto the freeway, according to KOLD News 13.
After the incident, residents within half a mile were told to evacuate, while those within a mile were directed to shelter in place for several hours.
The order, lifted shortly before 9pm on Tuesday, was restored in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The shelter-in-place order has now extended to a three-mile radius around the crash site.
Arizona Department of Public Safety
The Department of Public Safety is “actively monitoring within these limits to ensure public safety and to assess the need for any changes to existing evacuations and shelter-in-place orders,” officials said.
I-10 remains closed in both directions between Kolb and Rita streets in Tucson, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Authorities also ordered everyone in the shelter area to turn off any heaters and/or air conditioners that suck in outside air.
Nitric acid is used in the production of fertilizers, dyes, plastics and explosives. It is a colorless liquid that emits yellow or red smoke and has a sour smell. It is also very corrosive. According to the CDC, exposure to it can cause eye and skin irritation and other health problems.
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