California IN BRIEF : BAKER : Acid Spill Closes Interstate 15 Lanes

A hydrochloric acid spill on Interstate 15 near Baker closed several lanes of the highway from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for hours as road crews worked to remove the caustic chemical, authorities said Saturday. California Highway Patrol officials said the driver of a tank truck carrying the chemical found a crack in the tank when he stopped to check his brakes a mile north of the Halloran Springs exit and 11 miles north of Baker. About 600 gallons of acid leaked, authorities said. Road crews were draining the rest of the acidic cargo onto dirt beside the road and planned to transfer the dirt to another tank truck. In the interim, CHP officials advised travelers to take Interstate 40 east from Barstow to U.S. 95, north to the Nevada state line and then into Las Vegas.