Norfolk

Route 44 in Norfolk Expected to Be Closed For Days After Major Gasoline Spill

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Route 44 in Norfolk is expected to be closed for several days after a tanker carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline overturned in Norfolk early Saturday morning, according to officials.

Jon Barbagallo, Public Information Officer for the Town of Norfolk, said that the tanker carrying approximately 8,200 gallons of gasoline went off the road on Route 44 near Maple Avenue around 6 a.m.

The truck then brushed a telephone pole and overturned.

The driver was able to get himself out and was taken to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The truck's entire 8,200 gallons of gasoline have spilled entering yards and storm drains that lead to streams, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The development led to ten to fifteen homes being evacuated with power shut off as a precaution. The National Guard is assisting DEEP with air and soil monitoring.

"We think that the majority of that gasoline went down the storm drains in the town and got into the Black Berry Rver, so between that, clean up, and the immediate site clean up, it's going to be days. With that section being closed, it's definitely going to put a damper on traffic on the mornings," Barbagallo explained.

Town officials say some people living along Route 44 were able to return to their homes, but others haven't been able to yet. They're asked to contact the town emergency management for any updated information.

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