Garbage truck spews gunk on Round Lake home

Sophia Rogalevich stared in amazement as environmental clean up workers covered the back yard of her Round Lake home in black plastic and duct tape.

"I can't believe this happened," she said. "This is ridiculous. All I want is a nice home."

The nightmare for Rogalevich started about 2:30 p.m. Monday when a hydraulic hose on a Waste Management garbage truck exploded in the 2500 block of W. Spruce Drive in the Silver Leaf Glen subdivision. It covered her home with up to 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid.

The fluid shot out of the truck like a geyser, she said, and covered her home, lawn, and her husband's car with a fine layer of oil.

The accident has forced her to bring in the clean up crew to wash down her home. The crew has also had to remove the grass and trees along the road in front of several houses that was bathed in the clear oil.

"It's disgusting," she said. "It went everywhere. I was just amazed."

Waste Management spokesman Bill Plunkett said the company responded immediately to the problem and has been working with her to clean up the mess.

He said two homes were hit by the hydraulic fluid, but added Waste Management is paying for the clean.

"We will take whatever steps are needed to resolve the matter and to restore the homes to their original condition," Plunkett said. "It's a very unusual circumstance, and the company will do the right thing for anyone who was involved."

It's unclear if the hydraulic fluid - used to power the lift that dumps garbage into the back of the truck - contains any corrosive agents, he said. However, the Castrol Dual Range HV46 fluid can cause eye and skin irritation, and may cause a respiratory tract infection.

Round Lake village officials said they are monitoring the situation and keeping an eye on the clean up to ensure it's done correctly.

"It really is an unfortunate situation, but it's being cleaned up," Round Lake Building Commissioner Dale Engebretson said.

To make matters worse for Rogalevich, she has been home from work for about two weeks, caring for her 9-year-old son Michael, who is disabled and has been suffering from pneumonia.

"He needs to be in a sterile environment right now because of the pneumonia," she said. "I don't think dousing the house in hydraulic fluid is doing much to keep the area sterile."