Information provided by Del Norte County Environmental Health
On June 11, a tanker truck carrying asphalt binder overturned on Highway 199 north of Siskiyou Fork Road near Bar-O Ranch. As a result of the accident, a quantity of asphalt binder was released, and some of the material entered the adjacent Middle Fork of the Smith River.
Asphalt binder is a heavy, semi-solid petroleum product used in road construction to bind aggregate materials together and form pavement surfaces.
Response efforts are currently underway. Personnel from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), Caltrans, and the California Highway Patrol are on scene. An environmental cleanup contractor is en route to assess site clean up efforts.
The Smith River serves as a primary source of drinking water for many residents of Del Norte County. At this time, there is no immediate threat to drinking water supplies. Due to the river’s cold water temperatures, asphalt binder typically hardens upon contact with water.
A similar spill involving asphalt binder occurred in April 2022 between Gasquet and Hiouchi. During that incident, high river flows and turbulence associated with storm events broke portions of the hardened material into small pieces, commonly referred to as tarballs, which subsequently traveled downstream. A similar outcome is possible with the current incident; however, this spill occurred substantially farther upstream, and the quantity of material that entered the river has not yet been determined.
All local water providers have been notified of the incident and are evaluating and implementing appropriate best management practices to protect drinking water supplies. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
County staff will continue to coordinate with responding agencies and monitor the situation closely.
We will continue to provide updates as they are received
CHP States – US-199 near Mile Post 27 is now fully open to traffic after an earlier semi-tanker rollover. Drivers are urged to stay alert and travel safely through the area.
