US 2 reopens after hazardous spill led to multi-hour shutdown
Sep 18, 2024, 12:04 PM | Updated: 1:58 pm
A Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue team contained the hazardous spill on U.S. 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. . Around 15-20 gallons of a herbicide mixture leaked out of the containers onto the road. The liquids were cleaned up using absorbent materials. (Photo courtesy of Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue/@SnoRegionalFire on X)
(Photo courtesy of Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue/@SnoRegionalFire on X)
A hazardous materials spill caused U.S. 2 to shut down in Monroe Wednesday morning for multiple hours before the road was cleared in the afternoon.
At approximately 9:15 a.m., Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue announced in a post on X the closure of the highway west of Fryelands Boulevard due to the spill.
More local fires: Two-alarm apartment fire in Edmonds leaves two injured
PIO is on scene at hwy2 W of Fryelands. We have identified the chemicals as a mixture of herbicides used in agriculture. The materials are leaking from the back of a box trailer. This will extend the closure due to required cleanup. pic.twitter.com/6We2PTakw7
— Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue (@SnoRegionalFire) September 18, 2024
Fire officials at the scene investigated what exactly the hazardous spill was after a crash on the highway, Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue spokesperson Peter Mongillo stated. Around 11 a.m., the responding fire crews identified the chemicals leaking from the back of a box trailer as a mixture of herbicides used in agriculture.
“This will extend the closure due to required cleanup,” Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue stated in a separate post on X. “Around 15-20 gallons leaked out of the containers and onto the road. We contained the liquids using absorbent materials to protect the environment and will be handing command to WSP and Dpt of Ecology for further cleanup.”
A Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue team looking to contain the hazardous spill on U.S. 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue)
Traffic is backed up to Westwick Road, as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) map indicated. Westbound traffic was being diverted to Roosevelt Road, while eastbound traffic was diverted to Fryelands Boulevard. Initially, there was no timeline to reopen the highway, Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue confirmed on social media at 11:45 a.m.
More dangerous spills: Bellingham beach closed due to ‘serious’ sewage spill
“Highway 2 will be extremely impacted,” Mongillo said.
WSDOT confirmed just before 12:45 p.m. that all lanes on U.S. 2 between Roosevelt Road and Fryelands Boulevard were clear.
No injuries were reported.
Contributing: Steve Coogan
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.
