Cleanup crews almost immediately began containing the gasoline seeping down through the short swath of land between the highway and the lake, but even so, five homes had to be declared unsafe for human habitation because of gas fumes. The owners of these homes were told they may not be able to return to them for up to 40 years. For the older homeowners, that means they may never again sleep under their own roofs.
And still, the trucks keep hauling down the East Shore Highway. This week we learned about yet another accident on the same stretch of road. Fortunately, the trailer that overturned this time wasn't carrying anything hazardous - just plants and potting soil.
The trucks could get around Flathead Lake on the west shore side using U.S. Highway 93, which has wider lanes and is all-around better suited for commercial traffic. However, truckers tend to avoid roads that have a lot of uphill climbs. They look for the most time- and fuel-efficient routes possible, and right now, that's not always Highway 93.
Highway 35, on the other hand, is a rather narrow road that twists and turns between the Mission Mountains and Flathead Lake. It doesn't have shoulders in some places. The top speed limit is 50 miles per hour, but some residents who live along the highway say they see too many truckers driving at unsafe speeds.
The driver of the rig that overturned on the East Shore Highway and spilled gasoline recently has not been accused of speeding or driving recklessly. Even so, the insurance carrier for Keller Transport, which owns the truck, is going to be paying out huge sums of money to clean up the spill and compensate the displaced families.
Maybe other truckers will take note of this and decide the risk of losing their load isn't worth the few minutes or gallons they might save. Maybe, for a short while at least, they will drive extra carefully - and well under the speed limit.
Highway 35 is a federally funded highway, so the state may not legally be able to place limits on the kind of traffic that uses it, as some east shore residents would like. However, state and local governments have jurisdiction over speed limits. Perhaps the speed limit on Highway 35 needs to be lowered to a safer speed - say, 35 miles an hour.
While a lower speed limit would undoubtedly discourage many truckers from using the route, it would also make it safer for large trucks to navigate the narrow East Shore Highway.
The fact is, if trucking companies and their drivers aren't willing to regulate themselves better, the government is sure to step in and do it for them. The people of Montana will demand it.
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