Truck clipped by train spills salt

A chemical truck was clipped by an empty Union Pacific train this morning. The truck rolled and spilled 1,500 pounds of magnesium chloride, which is a salt compound commonly used to control dust and as a road deicer. Magnesium chloride isn’t dangerous for humans, nor is it flammable, Spokane Fire Asst. Chief Brian Schaeffer said. “It doesn’t pose any health hazards, but does pose a danger to the environment,” Schaeffer said. No one was injured in the crash. There is no guard rail at the railroad crossing at Havana and Sprague. The Spokane Fire Department (SFD) is working to control the spill. A “significant amount” of the magnesium chloride spilled into sewer grates, Schaeffer said. The Department of Ecology and the city will work with SFD to minimize the environmental impact. The accident occurred on Havana Street, just north of Sprague Avenue. Havana is closed from Sprague to the fairgrounds.