Cherokee County Emergency Preparedness and the Macedonia Volunteer Fire Department were forced to close an Interstate 85 rest stop Tuesday afternoon when a chemical drum leaked from a tractor trailer.

Director of Emergency Preparedness Rick Peterson said a 55-gallon drum fell off a pallet inside a box truck with some of the drum’s contents spilling.

Firefighters initially treated the situation with great caution. Peterson said it ultimately was determined the drum contained a textile solvent that wasn’t hazardous.

Still, he said, the material had to be cleaned up.

An environmental clean-up company from Spartanburg was dispatched to the scene to vacuum the spilled solvent from storm drains.

The incident happened just before 5 p.m. Tuesday and the rest area, which is located near the 89 Mile Marker remained closed to the public as of 6:30 p.m.

“We’ll probably have it closed a couple more hours,” Peterson said.

Peterson expected a return visit to the site during daylight hours Wednesday.