Dozens of men and women who expected to have Christmas off were called to action when a tractor-trailer overturned on a major highway.

The incident happened shortly after 10am at Interstate 24 exit 25, at the westbound ramp to get on the Purchase Parkway southbound. The truck was hauling 10 bulk containers of material estimated at 39,900 pounds.

Emergency management officials said the substance in the containers was Potassium Hydroxide and Postassium Carbonate, which are chemicals used in many industrial purposes.

The substances weren’t thought to be an immediate health danger to those in the vicinity, but crews were having a considerably hard time cleaning the site up. A detour was set up to get around a closure which lasted the entire day.
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12/26/2011/am