MISSOULA — The Montana Highway Patrol has confirmed that a hazardous spill that has closed a section of I-90 near St. Regis is talcum powder.
MHP Sergeant Sean Finley tells MTN News that a semi-truck from Montana was traveling west on Interstate 90 near mile marker 26 around a curve when the load on the trailer shifted.
The trailer then flipped, spilling large bags of talcum powder onto the eastbound lanes of I-90 with at least two inches of talcum powder spilling onto the highway.
Sgt. Finley says that it’s considered hazardous when the talcum powder is airborne and a person breathes it in.
A cleanup crew arrived on the scene shortly after 10 a.m. with vacuums to clean up up the spill.
As of 11:00 a.m, both eastbound lanes of I-90 were closed, while one westbound lane is open.
MHP is investigating to determine if speed was a factor in the accident.
The driver was not hurt, and will be cited for the crash, according to Sgt. Finley.