POST FALLS - Some agencies that responded to the hazardous materials leak that closed Interstate 90 in both directions near the state line for 18 hours on Sept. 14 have requested $77,000 in reimbursement from the chemical firm for their services during the incident.

Andy Hail of the Spokane Valley Fire Department said individual agencies submitted requests for reimbursement to him and he forwarded the requests to Allentown, Pa.-based Taminco U.S. Inc.

"They have received the bill and have forwarded it to their insurance carrier," Hail said. "They're requesting quite a bit of documentation, so we'll be doing some followup. But hopefully this will get the ball rolling."

Hail said the requests are for overtime that was incurred during the incident, food needed for responders and equipment charges, not for regular expenses.

"From that perspective, we're not into it for a huge amount," said Hail, whose agency was among the primary responders. "Spokane Valley did not have to backfill any of its stations during this incident."

The truck was pulled over at the weigh station on the Washington side, so Washington agencies primarily handled the incident.

Hail said no Idaho agencies submitted any requests for reimbursement through Spokane Valley's effort.

However, the Region 1 Regional Response Team, which Kootenai County Fire and Rescue is the lead agency of, responded.

KCFR Chief Warren Merritt said a cost reimbursement of $844.33 will be sought for the area response team's involvement.

"KCFR is seeking the reimbursement through the state of Idaho under our contract (with the Bureau of Homeland Security)," Merritt said.

The Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho State Police responded to the incident for traffic control, but won't seek reimbursement.

Jason Minzghor, ITD operations manager, said his agency was aware of the reimbursement effort organized by Spokane Valley, but it did not bill the chemical company because the incident was standard operating procedure.

"This wasn't out of the ordinary for us," Minzghor said. "It's like a snowstorm. It's an emergency and we respond."

Neither ITD nor Idaho State Police incurred any overtime costs.

"We brought in folks at the beginning of the week, so we sent them home early at the end," Minzghor said.

Agencies on the other side of the border that are seeking reimbursement include Spokane Valley Fire, Stevens County Fire District I, City of Spokane, Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Washington Department of Transportation and Fairchild Air Force Base.

A phone call to Taminco's corporate office for comment about the requests was not returned on Thursday.

The company's truck was transporting 7,000 gallons of anhydrous trimethylamine from its Florida production facility to a Moses Lake, Wash., manufacturer. The incident caused major traffic delays and detours.

The chemical is a colorless gas with a fishlike odor. Contact with the liquid can cause frostbite or chemical-type burns. Prolonged exposure to heat can cause an explosion. Inhalation can also cause adverse health effects.

Two law enforcement personnel and two hazardous materials workers complained of headaches from the leaking vapors. They were treated nearby, but not transported to a hospital.

Residents in the vicinity were advised to stay inside, keep their windows shut and not run their air conditioners.

A 350-foot evacuation zone around the truck, including Interstate 90 and Centennial Trail, was ordered. After the situation was rectified, the trucker was allowed to continue to his destination.

Hail described the reimbursement process as "long and complicated." He said the type of incident is somewhat rare and the aftermath put his agency in a unique position of organizing the bulk of the reimbursement effort.

"We wanted to make sure that our charges were appropriate and we did not tell the other agencies how to conduct their business (in terms of what to seek reimbursement for)," he said.