TYRONE TWP. (WWJ) -- Residents near US-23 in Livingston County's Tyrone Twp. have been told they can go home after emergency crews spent most of the day clearing a HAZMAT situation on the highway.
A tanker carrying 9,200 gallons of sulfuric acid overturned on the ramp from Center Road to northbound US-23 in the Fenton area shortly before 5 a.m., leaving traffic heavy in the area all day.
US-23 was closed in both directions around 4 p.m. as HAZMAT crews worked to get the tanker back upright. The highway was closed for about four hours. It reopened about 8 p.m., more than 15 hours after the initial crash.
Michigan State Police officials said HAZMAT crews that were at the scene all day "determined that a local evacuation of residences" needed to be conducted before the tanker could be turned upright.
With the help of a crane, the tanker was separated from the truck after officials determined it had not been damaged and there were no leaks of the sulfuric acid.
It was eventually brought back upright and cleared from the scene shortly before 8 p.m.
MSP troopers went door-to-door telling nearby residents on Runyon Lake Road in Tyrone Township they had to evacuate. It was not clear how many people were affected.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sulfuric acid is a corrosive compound often used in the production of phosphate fertilizers, as well as in the manufacturing of explosives, other acids, dyes, glue, wood preservatives, and automobile batteries.
It is colorless, odorless, and viscous. It is destructive to the skin, eyes, teeth, and lungs with severe exposure resulting in death.
"The acid is contained and the hazmat teams are on their way to move it to another container before the overturned truck can be removed," the sheriff's office said.
Officials with the Fenton Fire Department told WWJ earlier in the day that crews from Ohio were en route with equipment to lift or pump up the semi truck and get it out of the right ditch.
"If you live within 2,000 feet of the area, please close your windows, doors and vents and keep your pets inside as a precaution," the sheriff's office advised.
Authorities have not said what led up to the crash that caused the truck to overturn Tuesday morning. No injuries have been reported.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ LIVE for the latest updates with your Traffic and Weather Together on the :08s.