MEDIA RELEASE

9 November 2012

Tanker crash in Awakino Gorge

Waikato Regional Council emergency response staff are on their way to a serious milk tanker crash just south of the tunnel in the Awakino Gorge earlier this morning.

The tanker is said to have been carrying around 25,000 litres of dairy product.

Material from the crashed tanker is reported to be leaking towards the Awakino River.

Milk and other similar dairy product is toxic to fish and other aquatic life.

Council staff will be making an environmental risk assessment at the scene and looking at how the environmental threat should be managed, said emergency response manager Rob Dragten.

“We will work closely with emergency services to look at what we can do to prevent environmental damage in the wake of this accident,’ said Mr Dragten.

Meanwhile, council staff last night left the scene of the truck crash on State Highway One between Waiouru and Turangi after satisfying themselves that contractors had the clean up operation under control.

“We will continue to monitor the situation at that accident scene to satisfy ourselves that there will be no ongoing environmental problems there,” said Mr Dragten.
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