HazMat mess near Henderson St.
07
October
10/7/2008:
Isn’t anti-freeze pretty?
Traffic Snarled by Hazardous Materials cleanup
A large pool of green glowing liquid caused a massive response by the Hoboken Fire Department and New Jersey Transit this afternoon.
One eastbound lane of Observer Highway was closed for the PM rush near the intersection with Henderson Street, causing backups in both directions. This area at the extreme west end of Vezzetti Way has extremely poor drainage to the point where you can see water plants that typically grow in marshlands taking up space right in the street. Some people call it “Lake Vezzetti”.
That rain water apparently mixed with what appears to be antifreeze. The spill may have come from the Mercury sedan with the odd writing on the driver’s side window. The investigation continues as a huge contingent of emergency personnel gathers to watch the neon green mess get sucked into a vacuum truck. Better there than into the Hudson via our state of the (19th century) art combined sewer outflow!
PHOTO GALLERY (HOLD MOUSE OVER IMAGE TO NAVIGATE - 9 PHOTOS IN THIS SET)
1. Evelyn | October 7th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Maybe the city hall water-cooler leaked? I’d suspect that’d be the color of the Kool Aid they drink!
2. Red Haven | October 7th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Maybe this is the Kool-Aid NJ Transit got Dave Roberts to drink to promote their ridiculous railyard redevelopment scheme. There must have been something green involved to get him to go along with it.
3. plaintruthiness | October 7th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Where’s our $100K-plus Hoboken HazMat firetruck?
4. honcho | October 7th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Actually it’s a work of art from some dope at the Neumann Leather Building
Chop! Chop!
5. hobojoe | October 7th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
It’s about time someone took care of the mosquitos there in Hoboken’s Official West Nile Virus Breeding Area (sponsored by David Roberts, Mayor and John Corea, Director)
6. art vandalay | October 7th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I thought that the first picture was photoshopped by 411… and then laughed aloud when I realized it wasn’t.
7. bornandrazedinhobo | October 8th, 2008 at 1:08 am
That water was there for several days and the anti-freeze was apparently dumped there. A leak would be more localized and not mix as clear and solid as in the photo.
8. Tama Murden | October 8th, 2008 at 1:11 am
At the risk of sounding alarmist, despite whatever remediation, anyone in the vicinity walking dogs s/b especially careful. Extra caution around dogs sniffing/licking any liquid, even if it doesn’t look green & wipe off paws promptly, etc. Anti-freeze, even diluted, is lethal.
9. kal-el | October 8th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Toxic Avenger is coming !!!
10. hobokendave | October 8th, 2008 at 8:04 am
That corner is always filled with stagnant water except during the hottest days of summer. The grade just needs to be changed by filling with more asphalt…but that would be too quick easy and cheap to do.
11. costume | October 8th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Is that Ecto Cooler?
12. monk | October 8th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Wow, that is a lot of antifreeze. If it did come from that car it must have been in the cooling system nearly undiluted.
On another note, does Hoboken recycling center accept motor oil or antifreeze?
13. 9 | October 8th, 2008 at 9:57 am
kal-el wrote:
New Jersey’s finest superhero! WORD!