Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Nearly two dozen leaking barrels were found near the Great Salt Lake in Tooele County.
- Officials say the barrels pose low public health risk after initial testing.
- Further tests are being conducted to identify the substance in the barrels.
GRANTSVILLE — State environmental and local health officials are investigating nearly two dozen leaking barrels discovered near the Great Salt Lake after a report on Thanksgiving Day.
An orange-yellow sludge has been seen oozing from the steel barrels. They are sitting on private property right off Stansbury Island Road.
Dave Noriega, communication manager for the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, said a hiker called its tip line Thanksgiving morning.
"They'd seen these barrels before," Noriega said. "They said they hadn't been leaking; there was caution tape around them, so they hadn't reported them. They said they looked even official."
Tooele County Health Department public information officer Brent Peterson told KSL the barrels have been there for a few weeks. They were left there after a vehicle crash. He didn't know who was involved in the crash.
"Spills happen all the time, and hazardous materials are transported across this state every day," Noriega said. "You can drive down I-15, and you'll see tankers filled with hazardous materials. And if there's ever a crash, then these kind of leaks need to be accounted for. Where did it go? Where did it end up? Did it end up in a creek?"
Peterson said local hazmat crews tested the material immediately after the crash, and the results came back negative for hazardous substances. Officials believe the risk to public health is low and are not concerned about soil or water contamination.
Peterson said Clean Harbors' Tooele lab is conducting further tests to identify the substance. Morton Salt and the county roads department will share cleanup costs.
Peterson told KSL sampling and testing on substances can take some time.
Noriega said the person who reported the barrels did the right thing.
"If you see a spill, if it looks hazardous (or) if it looks dangerous, we want you to call 911," Noriega said. "They're going to be able to respond more quickly. Call the spill hotline if you see something happen that isn't immediately dangerous."
DEQ's 24-hour spill hotline can be reached at 801-536-4123.
