DEM Monitoring Water Quality After I-95 Crash and Gasoline Spill

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) said Thursday that it would monitor water quality after a truck carrying gasoline rolled over and dumped thousands of gallons onto the interstate's on-ramp at Allens Avenue. An unknown amount of the gas flowed into Narragansett Bay.

"We believe most of it ended up in the street," Providence Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Jutras told Turn to 10 News.

The DEM said it would continue with water tests and flush any catch basins that filled with fire-retardant foam. State officials said gasoline evaporates quickly.

I-95 North became a hazardous disaster Wednesday evening when a truck, carrying 11,000 gallons of gas, tipped over spilling the gasoline all over the roadway.

According to police, the tanker rolled over on a ramp to Interstate 95 in Providence just after 7 p.m. It took until Thursday morning to pull the truck upright and have it towed, complicating Thursday's morning commute. As of 9:15 a.m., the on-ramp at Allens Avenue was still closed.

Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare told WPRI 12 truck driver was taken to the hospital, but his injuries are non life-threatening. He also said all drivers who were in the area when the crash happened are safe.

Clean-up efforts required hazmat teams to work throughout the night. One team from Massachusetts was called to assist clean-up by drilling into the truck to remove any remaining gasoline. The removal of the truck was had to happen first so that hazmat crew could safely work at Allens Avenue. Providence Fire Chief Michael Bates told WPRI 12 crews from East Providence, Johnston and Woonsocket all assisted on scene, as did Rhode Island State Police.

The next step was covering the ramp in mounds of fire-preventing foam. From a distance, the mounds look like snowbanks. Much of the morning effort was pushing aside foam covering multiple cars near the on-ramp.

Representatives from National Grid told the Providence Journal that 3,200 houses nearby had their power shut off for safety reasons during the cleanup. but all power was restored by 6 a.m. Thursday.

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