UPDATE: Highway 8 Reopens After Fuel Leak

CALHOUN CO, Miss. (WCBI)- A fuel leak in Derma has stopped, and Highway 8 is now open.

As of 8 A.M. Wednesday, Mississippi Environmental Quality officials say the fuel leak is still in the emergency phase, but much of the fuel has been vaccummed up.

According to Ernie Shirley, Emergency Response Chief for Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, fuel is still in the soil but the tank is surrounded by what they call a “tank bed,” which is a mixture of rocks, gravel, and sand. The tank bed is used to try and contain the fuel so that it doesn’t get into the water supply.

Shirley says crews are collecting samples to try to determine how deep the fuel got into the soil and if it reached the water supply.

Environmental contractors are estimating a total of 1,000 gallons of fuel leaked.

Calhoun County Emergency Management Director, Randy Skinner, tells WCBI News an air quality team from Arkansas is on site and has given the go ahead to reopen the highway.

Shirley says they will soon be transitioning from emergency to a “cleanup” phase, and the underground storage tanker team is on its way to work on that.

WCBI News will keep you updated if more information is released.