The truck route has re-opened after a chemical spill near Nachurs Alpine closed it on Friday, March 6. Three thousand gallons of phosphoric acid spilled from a railcar due to equipment failure, and while initial projections had the road re-opened after two days of clean-up efforts, they remained ongoing late into the week. No comments were received by the Gazette from Nachurs Alpine as to the seriousness of the situation, but large amounts of phosphoric acid in the soil increases its acidity, making it difficult for plants to grow. The Gazette observed several truckloads of soil being removed from the site. The effects resulting from the spill, including the substantial amount of traffic required for clean-up, showed in the extreme wear in the road’s surface. At this time, the SD DENR considers the case still open, and no further documentation is being released to the public.
