What Caused the HazMat Spill on SR-167 Near Auburn? Here’s What We Know Now

We now know more about the HazMat spill yesterday on SR-167 near Auburn, Washington. The hazardous material has now been identified.

Resin Spill Causes Traffic Chaos Near Auburn, WA: Details on the HazMat Leak

A potentially hazardous materials spill caused big traffic issues yesterday ( Monday, April 7, 2025) on SR-167 near Auburn, Washington. Now we know what caused the spill. Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson reported that the truck involved was carrying barrels of resin when they noticed it leaking. After the truck had pulled over, local Hazmat teams arrived just before noon to assess the danger.

By 1 p.m., the Hazmat crews had begun removing the front barrels in order to safely access the leaking containers in the back. It took about 36 minutes to remove the 42 drums from the truck in order to get to the leak. Two of the drums had puncture holes, the leak was contained, and they were removed. The Washington State Department of Ecology was notified of the leak and worked with fire officials and a cleanup contractor that was also on-site.

HazMat Crews Work to Contain Resin Spill on SR-167 in Auburn

Video footage posted on X showed Hazmat crews carefully removing the barrels of resin from the truck in protective suits. The operation wrapped up around 2 p.m., but contractors remained to finish the cleanup process and direct traffic.

There were five miles of congestion reported because of the spill during cleanup. Eventually, the two left lanes of SR-167 and the off-ramp to westbound SR-18 were reopened around 3:20 p.m.

The spill was confined to the immediate area, and no public exposure to the hazardous materials was reported.