Politics & Government

Upper Milford Township Awaits Answers on Buckeye Road

Upper Milford Township Manager Dan DeLong says the township is waiting to hear from the Department of Environmental Protection on how long Buckeye Road will remain closed following a fatal accident and large diesel fuel spill Sunday night.

Upper Milford Township is waiting for answers from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) about the extent of cleanup that needs to be done along Buckeye Road following a fatal accident and large diesel fuel spill, according to Township Manager Dan DeLong.

Buckeye Road in Upper Milford Township has been closed since a car collided with a diesel fuel truck Sunday night, killing a Macungie man and dumping approximately 2,500 gallons of fuel oil on the roadway.

“It’s a mess out there,” DeLong said, describing trenches along both sides of the road ranging from 4- to 12-feet deep. The contractors hired by the DEP have been removing the contaminated soil, DeLong explained, and yesterday were expected to make a determination as to whether any of the fuel oil spilled had gotten underneath the road.

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“They need to figure out whether they are going to have to rip the road out,” DeLong said.

DeLong also said that the township is waiting on answers on 11 wells in the area that have been tested following the oil spill. “I would be surprised if there has been any contamination of the wells,” he said, because such as short time has passed since the spill and cleanup began almost immediately.

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PennDOT is expected to set up a longer-term, more clearly marked detour route around the closed section of Buckeye Road, added DeLong.


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