Hazmat spill shuts WB I-84, Baker Valley rest area

A Baker City-area Interstate 84 rest area and the freeway’s westbound lanes were closed Tuesday morning due to a leak of a hazardous flammable toxic liquid from a barrel in a pickup bed, Oregon State Police said.

A cleanup crew was en route as the Oregon Department of Transportation, OSP and Baker City Fire Department remained on scene.

Around 5 a.m., the driver of a pickup transporting two barrels, one containing a hazardous flammable toxic liquid (2-Methyl-2-heptanethiol), pulled off I-84 into the westbound Baker Valley Rest Area west of Baker City.

A barrel secured in the pickup bed tipped over and began to leak the hazardous material.

The driver, whose name is not available, was checked by emergency medical responders for exposure at the scene. He was not taken to a hospital and remains at the scene assisting as needed, troopers said.

Precautionary safety measures were taken, including closing the rest area and blocking the westbound lanes.

A detour was set up by ODOT around the area for westbound traffic. Eastbound traffic is not affected. Traffic updates can be found on ODOT’s website www.TripCheck.com .

Information about the hazardous material is available at:
http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/24011