Eight Mile, Middlebelt roads reopen after chemical spill at Livonia-Farmington Hills border
A chemical spill at the Livonia-Farmington Hills city border led to a temporary road closure Monday evening that continued into Tuesday morning.
The Farmington Hills and Livonia fire departments responded to Middlebelt and Eight Mile roads, where a semi truck leaked ferric chloride. Livonia Fire Deputy Chief Wade Clay said the spill trailed about a quarter of a mile from the intersection on Middlebelt Road.
"Anytime you say hazardous material, it's a scary thing. You don't know what it is. Anything that's unknown, people are scared about it," Clay said.
In response, the Western Wayne Hazardous Materials Response Team was called to the scene. Officials said the road closure was expected to last hours as crews completed the cleanup.
Eight Mile Road was back open as of 11 a.m. Tuesday. Parts of Middlebelt Road remained closed until around 2 p.m.
"It's been totally removed; it didn't get into the sewer system. There's no harm for the general public at all," said Samer Jaafar, director of the Wayne County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. "We always want the general public at least 500 feet away. And if it's, you know, something that gets in the air that can harm the general public, it'll be further than that. We might have to close the, you know, other roadways."
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ferric chloride is used in water treatment, electronic and photographic etching, and metal surface treatment.
Authorities say there may be some discoloration on the road, but there should be no lasting damage.
