Strange substance discovered on road

PORTLAND, Ore. - Authorities shut down a portion of North Marine Drive Saturday afternoon while investigating a strange substance bubbling up from the ground.

Firefighters responded to the road shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday after receiving a call about a natural gas leak and an unknown substance coming out of the ground, according to a Portland Fire Bureau spokesman. Crews determined that there was no gas leak; the odor was coming from a nearby industrial company that emits such a smell, said Bureau spokesman John Hill.

However, hazardous materials crews were unable to immediately identify the bubbling substance and took samples in order to figure out how to deal with it, Hill said.

Crews closed the road between Interstate 5 and North Portland Road during the investigation.