The tanker crash on Te Puna Station Road causing traffic delays in the area is creating environmental problems with its cargo spilling into waterways.

The tanker is carrying oil and waste fluids from ships and while these liquids are not considered directly hazardous for people they are a concern for the environment.

Emergency service responders examine the rolled truck and trailer unit.

The truck crashed at about 2pm, rolling onto its side and trapping the woman driver.

Tauranga Fire Senior Station Officer Phil Price says they were able to free her from the truck by lifting her through the windscreen frame.

The 60 year old Tauranga woman was taken away from the crash scene aboard a St John Ambulance. She has injuries to her shoulder and ankle.

The driver was pulled from the cab of the truck through the windscreen frame.

The concern of emergency service responders now is the surrounding environment.

The tanker is leaking ship's oil into a waterway described as an irrigation channel.

This channel runs out to the harbour and every effort is being made to prevent the oil from getting there.

A digger was promptly on the scene and was used to build a make-shift dirt dam to block it.

The digger was too heavy for the site, however, and it broke the road it was on, cracking water pipes below.

These are now leaking as well, turning the crash site into a water-washed bog.

The tanker is close to jack-knifed - vertically.

The truck needs to be drained of its 23,000 litres of contents before a tow truck can be used to shift the truck to reopen Te Puna Station Road.

Until then, Te Puna Station Road is blocked from Te Puna Road to Clarke Road, with traffic being diverted onto State Highway 2.

This traffic is being allowed to drive through the road block that is set up there to allow road works to be conducted.

Traffic at this road works site was previously being diverted from there and onto Te Puna Station Road.

Police Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says traffic is flowing quite well along the highway.

'We got the road works contractor to reopen SH2 for both lanes so that traffic was able to flow on the state highway rather than the crash site,” says Ian.

'That will remain in place for some time until the road way is clear.

'If it creates any delay it will be a lot less than trying to drive through a road that is closed.”

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