US-36 HazMat Spill Update

THUR APR 29 2:00 PM UPDATE

The Town of Lyons and the Lyons Fire Protection District continues to communicate up to date information regarding the hazardous material spill that happened on Tuesday, April 27 around noon time, along US-36 westbound just before the Apple Valley Bridge.

EPA (@EPARegion8), Boulder County, Colorado State Patrol (@CSP_News), Lyons Fire Protection District (LFD), and response contractors remain at the scene of the spill, as clean-up efforts continue. Cleanup crews are coordinating with state and local agencies (CSP, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and LFD) and have begun soil removal adjacent to the highway (near MM 18 on US-36).  Clean-up and response activities are expected to continue throughout the end of the week and road closures are expected.

EPA continues to support state and local partners in responding to the April 27 gasoline tanker spill northwest of Lyons, CO.  The agency has been evaluating site conditions to ensure the safety of residents in the area and will continue to provide information as they  process water sampling results. 

On April 27, EPA collected water samples from the North St Vrain Creek at multiple locations above and below the spill site.  This includes sampling for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX chemicals) and gasoline-range organics (GRO), compounds that occur naturally in gasoline. Preliminary sampling results do not detect contamination in these locations and they do not anticipate impacts to wells at this time.

The BTEX measurements were all below EPA’s drinking water standards.  The GRO measurement was slightly above the detection limit near the accident but was not detected further downstream.  These data suggest the pulse of gasoline that was discharged to the creek has dissipated and there is no indication of a lingering water quality impact to the North Saint Vrain Creek.  

Additional sampling was conducted on April 28, 2021, and results are expected later today and will be posted.   For more detailed information on EPA’s efforts, including a sampling data map, please visit the EPA’s response website  Site Profile - Apple Valley Tanker Rollover - EPA OSC Response.

For our neighbors in Apple Valley, EPA is aware of concerns regarding potential impacts to private drinking water wells downstream of the spill site.  EPA wants to assure members of the community that they are aware of those concerns and are working to address them as quickly as possible. In addition, residents along Apple Valley may reach out directly to Erin Dodge, Water Quality Coordinator with Boulder County Public Health, edodge@bouldercounty.org for well water concerns.

Currently, US-36 is expected to remain closed through the weekend. Semi trucks are advised to take Highway 34 via Loveland or State Highway 7 via Allenspark.

We wanted to include some links for those who would like additional detailed information.

If we have more updates to share we will post these public information releases and briefings via the Town E-blast. 

We remind all residents in the Town of Lyons to please sign up for the Boulder County emergency messaging system.