Tanker truck leaks nonhazardous chemical in Elgin

The high temperatures Friday may have contributed to a nonhazardous chemical leak from a semitrailer truck in Elgin Friday morning, fire officials said.

The truck, which was carrying several 500 gallon containers of a petroleum-based product, was crossing the train tracks at McLean Boulevard near Big Timber Road about 8:30 a.m. when the driver heard a noise and stopped, then saw the leak coming out of the trailer, Battalion Chief Bryan McMahan of the Elgin Fire Department said.

The tanks inside the trailer were filled to capacity, and it’s likely the heat caused the containers to pop their tops, McMahan said.

Much of what was in the tanks spilled onto the roadways, which were shut down for four hours while crews worked to clean up the spill. The chemical, a water-soluble product used for industrial lubricants and cleaning agents, was deemed to be not hazardous, McMahan said.

Crews watered down the streets because the chemical had seeped into nearby sewers, he said.