An accident involving a hazardous chemical closed both Interstate 35 and Hwy. 36 on Sept. 24, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The intersection was closed until about 5 p.m.
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The hazardous chemical was reported to be 20,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate. The chemical is typically used in fertilizer. A trucker from Illinois was hauling the chemical as a blasting agent to a mine in Washington state when he lost part of his load on the highway. The patrol evacuated a half-mile radius around the intersection of I-35 and Hwy. 36 and alerted Cameron residents about the accident as a safety precaution. No injuries were reported.
Traffic was backed up in Cameron and no cross traffic was being allowed in the town. Traffic from the major thoroughfares was diverted to U.S. 69 Highway in the interim. Residents were advised to seek alternate routes to their destinations avoiding these locations.
A hazmat team from Illinois came to clean up the spill, which took most of the day.
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Sgt. Pointer with the Hamilton Police Department said the police are aware of the "loud boom" heard earlier in the day. Residents in Hamilton and in other areas of Caldwell County also heard the noise. But no 9-1-1 reports were filed in connection with the noise, nor have any other reports been received about it. It is not believed to be connected to the spill at Cameron.