Table EIR 9. Hazardous waste incident, Toxaphene spill, Pasco County (Teaf 

 1980) . 



Personal damage: None . 



Environmental damage: Minor. Includes initial contamination of soil at 

 incident site by the pesticide Toxaphene. 



Economic damage: Not calculated, but included clean-up and disposal costs. 



Cause of problem: Traffic accident in which a tank truck containing Toxaphene 

 overturned and spilled a large portion of its contents. 



Type and quantity of hazardous waste: 4,240 lb of liquid Toxaphene contamin- 

 ated approximately 110 yd of soil which required disposal . 



Date of incident: 16 February 1979. 



Location: Dade City, FL, at intersection of Hwy. 98 and Rt . 301. 



Remedial action: Approximately 18-24 inches (110 yd^") of contaminated 

 topsoil were removed at the spill site and shipped to a permitted hazardous 

 waste disposal site in Livingston, AL . Reclaimed liquid portion was 

 shipped to the original manufacturer in Vicksburg, MS for reprocessing. 

 Final clean-up was approved by the Florida Department of Environmental 

 Regulation (DER) on 23 February 1979. 



Narrative: On 16 February 1979 a traffic accident caused 4,240 lb of liquid 

 Toxaphene to be spilled onto the median and drainage ditch on Hwy 98 in Dade 

 City, FL at its intersection with Route 301. Initial notification of the 

 Florida DER was through a call from the U .S .Environmental Protection Agency 

 (EPA) Region IV. 



Personnel from Vicksburg Chemical Co. and the Florida Department of Trans- 

 portation were brought in to clean up the spilled material. The drainage 

 ditch was diked to prevent Toxaphene from entering the storm sewer. Pooled 

 liquid Toxaphene was pumped into drums and contaminated soil was placed in 

 trucks for proper disposal . 



Various in-state disposal options for the spilled material were considered, 

 including incineration, calcining and landfilling. None of these proved 

 viable. " Finally, the liquid Toxaphene was returned to Vicksburg Chemical 

 Co. plant in Vicksburg, MS for reprocessing and the contaminated soil 

 was shipped to the Chemical Waste Management of Alabama hazardous waste 

 disposal facility in Livingston, AL . 



Soil samples were analyzed by the Florida Department of Agriculture to 

 assure complete removal of Toxaphene. Final clean-up was approved on 

 23 February 1979 by the Florida DER. 



65 



