News Release
Chlorine Gas Alert Ended
(Wednesday, February 28/2001)-- Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service officials say it is safe for employees of businesses forced to evacuate their premises today as a result of a chlorine gas spill at a Burnside Industrial Park chemical supplier to return to work.
Crews from the Hazardous Materials Unit of the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service were on the scene at HCI-StanChem Inc., 105 Akerley Boulevard, in Dartmouth for close to nine hours today, after receiving a report that chlorine gas was leaking from a gas cylinder that had been punctured in an industrial mishap.
Employees of between 40 and 50 businesses in the immediate area of the chemical leak had to be evacuated shortly after noon today, because of the potential health dangers posed by the chlorine gas leak.
The leaking cylinder was located at the back of a rack containing11 other canisters of liquid chlorine in an fenced outdoor storage area. Officials were told that a forklift apparently struck the rack, pushing it up against the chain link fence. This made it extremely difficult for the Hazard Materials crews to reach the damaged cylinder and install a temporary patch, so that it could be safely removed.
Approximately 135 pounds of the total 150 pounds of liquid chlorine leaked from the cylinder. Crews were able to successfully install a safety patch on the tank, shortly after 8 p.m tonight.
The Fire and Emergency Service has released the site back to HCI- StanChem, and its private sector Emergency Response Team began clean-up operations tonight.
No one was injured as a result of the chemical leak.
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John O'Brien
Corporate Communications Officer
(902) 490-6531
