First responders contain acid leak in Crescent City

CRESCENT CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — Several emergency response teams were called to an Iroquois County city on Saturday morning in response to a HAZMAT incident.

Officials arrived at the scene near the post office in Crescent City around 7:30 a.m. A postal driver said he opened his truck at his last stop, and noted a strong odor and a light haze inside the vehicle. An unknown substance poured from a package in his truck and onto the concrete below. The leakage started to bubble and smoke.

Iroquois County EMA, the Crescent City Fire District and EMS, and the Watseka Fire Department worked to block off the area as the Kankakee County MABAS Division 7 Hazardous Materials Team was called in. The truck driver had difficulty breathing and was taken to an area hospital, where he has since been released, officials said.

The HAZMAT team suited up and found a bottle labeled “muriatic acid.” Muriatic acid is a strong, corrosive liquid often used for cleaning stone, concrete, and tiles. The lid on the bottle had cracked while in transit and caused the spill.

Crescent City Fire Chief Scott Dirks said there was no community threat and no one was hurt in the incident. The scene was cleared by noon.

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