News Release

Radioactive material incident at Halifax shipping terminal

Friday, March 14, 2014 (Halifax, NS) – Shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Hazardous-Materials first responders were called to the Ceres shipping terminal for a reported radiation incident.

Upon arrival, Fire officials were informed a 20-foot container was being moved from a ship to the dock. As many as four cylinders containing Uranium Hexafluoride fell about 20 feet from inside the container, landing in a contained portion of the ship. There is no indication anything leaked from the cylinders.

There have been no injuries, and all employees on site have tested negative for radiation contamination.

Fire officials confirm there will be no need to evacuate anyone as the materials on the ship are not expected to spread.

Fire officials conducted tests approximately 20 feet from the container and determined radioactive levels were three to four times normal background levels. As a safety precaution fire officials evacuated the immediate area.

Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency officials are standing by at the terminal and are awaiting emergency response action team members from Toronto who will do a more detailed assessment of the scene. Those officials are expected to arrive on Friday.

 

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Media Contact:

Brendan Elliott
Senior Communications Advisor
Halifax Regional Municipality
O 902-490-2377
C 902-220-0414
E elliotb@halifax.ca