DNREC Issues Shelter in Place Directive for New Castle County After I-95 Crash Involving Hazardous Material

Order Extends One-Half Mile from Scene Near Airport Road

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a shelter-in-place directive this afternoon for a half-mile radius around the crash scene of this morning’s accident on Interstate-95 involving a trailer load of organic peroxide, which is considered a hazardous material. The order for the crash scene applied to the area around the intersection of I-95 and Airport Road.

DNREC Emergency Response and Prevention Section began burning off the peroxide at the scene shortly after 1 p.m. so that it posed no further threat to public health or the environment.

I-95 remained closed in both directions while the DNREC Emergency Response and Prevention section worked with local agencies from New Castle County to clear the scene once the peroxide was burned off. Before the decision was made to thermally destroy the peroxide, DNREC Emergency Response and Prevention section had worked earlier with the local agencies, including the New Castle County fire service and decontamination unit ,to regain temperature control of the organic peroxide from this morning’s traffic accident that involved a pickup truck pulling the trailer bearing the peroxide colliding with a disabled vehicle on the roadway.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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