TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Twin Falls Fire Department (TFFD) and other agencies were dispatched on Saturday night to a report of hazardous waste incident near the intersection of Hankins and Kimberly roads. Upon arrival, crews did not find a chemical problem; however, they did find several tons of potato waste from a nearby processor.
Around 7 p.m. on Jan. 27, Twin Falls Fire Department dispatched to a hazardous waste call but found several tons of potato waste leaving behind a thick, slimy substance on Kimberly Road. The spillage was along a 1.5-mile stretch of the road.
"It was more of a safety hazard for drivers than an environmental hazard," said Battalion Chief Aaron Hudson.
It is reported that cars and trucks immediately began losing traction and the firefighters had to redirect traffic to prevent crashes. Idaho Transportation Department plow trucks began to scoop and clean the potato material but had no luck in removing the slippery substance.
TFFD then contacted several teams, including City Streets for water trucks and Airport Maintenance at Magic Valley Regional Airport for large runway broom trucks to assist in the cleanup project.
Snowplows, firefighting equipment, water trucks and airport maintenance equipment all worked together to clear the road, which was cleared just after 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Additional cleanup was done by the Burley based company that cause the spilled waste.
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