NGC Cleans Up Diesel Spill on Scenic Loveland Pass

Our Northern Colorado Hydrovac team found themselves high in the Rocky Mountains. They were called in by CG Environmental to help mitigate a fuel spill that had occurred on the scenic Loveland Pass, one of the more beautiful in the state. Topping out at 12000 feet and winding between two Colorado ski resorts it boasts gorgeous panoramic views of some iconic rocky mountain peaks.

It also happens to be the only way to truck hazardous material through the I-70 corridor. It’s at this point that I-70 runs through the Eisenhower tunnel, which is a massive 1.6-mile long thoroughfare that was bored directly through the continental divide, 11,000 feet above sea level. Not a place you would want to have a hazardous material accident. Subsequently, all of that traffic uses Loveland Pass for their journey east or west. With steep grades and sharp turns, this pass holds its own set of challenges and dangers for the trucks that use it on a daily basis, sometimes leading to unfortunate accidents.

Cue NGC. Our Foremost 1600 vac trucks are the perfect solution for something like this. With a 13-yard debris tank and a powerful Robuschi RBDV125 blower powering the vacuum, our team was able to use a remote hose and the large boom to work on the steep roadside. The vacuum cleans the area by allowing for precision removal of the contaminated soil.

Due to the location and topography of the site, achieving the same results with excavators or other mechanical means would have been a logistical nightmare and would likely have lead to the complete closure of one of the most important trucking arteries in the country. Not something anyone would want to deal with. 

Fortunately, we were there to quickly mop up the mess. We were able to return this site to its original beauty with minimal disruption to the flow of traffic. It’s the Occom’s Razor approach. Park a single truck on the shoulder with a capable team and use a giant vacuum to suck up the diesel soaked dirt. Simple, clean, efficient, and safe. That’s what we do.