Colorful spill of clothing dye prompts hours-long cleanup on interstate
By Kari Barrows
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SPARTANBURG COUNTY, South Carolina (WLOS) — It was quite the scene on Interstate 85 in Upstate South Carolina on Tuesday — a pretty picture for some, but highway headache for others.
Spartanburg County Emergency Management posted on social media just before 2 p.m. on Sept. 6 that there had been a spill of organic textile/clothing dye in two of the three lanes of I-85. Officials were urging people to avoid the area of 85S between 129 and Hwy 29 while crews were cleaning up.
“While the colors are pretty, we’re pretty sure you don’t want it on your car!” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
County Emergency Services said the large quantity of non-toxic, biodegradable coloring dye released onto the roadway was close to the North Tyger River, which could result in a colorful sheen appearing on the river for the next few days.
“Please know that we are aware of this and it does not present any harm to the environment, nor to people, nor to aquatic wildlife,” the department wrote in a social media post.
Anyone with any questions regarding the incident can call 864-595-5365.
By 6:15 p.m., all lanes of I-85 Southbound in the area were open, but officials were cautioning drivers of delays due to heavy volume of traffic.
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