Tractor trailer carrying hazardous goods overturns
Posted Sep 27, 2013 05:42:26 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Traffic is starting to get back to normal in the area of Akerley Boulevard in Burnside.
Two outbound lanes off of Highway 118 at Exit 13A are open, along with one inbound lane.
The area has been blocked off since early this morning when a tractor trailer carrying a load of toxic chemicals overturned early this morning.
Police say the tractor trailer was taking the 13A Exit into Burnside just after 4:30 a.m. when the driver lost control and rolled.
“We’re not looking at a significant amount of spillage,” said Halifax Fire Divisional Commander Corey Beals. “We do have some of the cans from some of the pallet loads that did break open and spill, but all of the contaminants would be contained within that immediate area.”
“It’s not on a waterway, so the damage to the environment should be minimal.”
Halifax Fire downgraded the scene from a hazmat situation to clean up and recovery around 8 a.m. It’s not been turned over to the insurance adjuster and the Department of Environment, who will remove the truck.
Lori Errington with the Nova Scotia Department of Environment says chemical spillage from the load was contained to several containers of a paint thinner type solvent and there’s no immediate threat to the environment.
“In these situations, the trucking company is responsible to hire the appropriate professionals to come in and do the work,” explained Errington. “They will assess whether the soil needs to be removed or what needs to be done to remediate the site.”
Police set up a wide perimeter around the accident scene this morning as part of the truck’s load was destined for Canadian Tire and included compressed gas, flammable liquids, nitrogen and oxygen.
The driver suffered only minor injuries.
