Authorities were measuring the damage Saturday after a diesel tanker truck rolled, spilling 4,000 gallons of fuel into Clear Creek and prompting the closure of the highway during a cleanup.
Federal Environmental Protection Agency officials were called to the site to assess the damage to the creek, which was tinted red because the diesel fuel for farm machinery had been dyed.
State wildlife officials were contacted, said state Trooper Greg Manning. He said he has received reports that it appeared some fish were killed.
Several hazardous-materials crews were called to the scene of the 9 a.m. accident on U.S. 6 near the Loveland Basin ski area, said State Patrol Sgt. Mike Baker.
The driver of the tanker received minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital, Baker said.
He was driving the tanker carrying 7,200 gallons of diesel fuel when he drove too fast into a hairpin curve and the truck toppled over onto its passenger side, officials said.
When the truck, owned by Gilco Transportation Inc. of Rifle, rolled, the manhole-size covers on top of the tankers immediately spilled about 4,000 gallons of fuel into the creek, said Manning.
“This was an immediate compromise of a large percentage of the tank,” Manning said.
“Everybody who has a stake in downstream of Clear Creek has been notified,” he added.
The Clear Creek and State Patrol hazardous-material crews were on the scene, and a Jefferson County team was joining them, he said.
“There are any number of dangerous possibilities,” Baker said.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident, Baker said.
Bystanders and emergency responders were able to reduce the flow of fuel into the creek to about 3 gallons a minute, Baker said.
“That still sounds like a lot to me,” Baker said.
U.S. 6 was reopened in both directions by 5 p.m. Saturday.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
