Fertilizer load spills in Trussler Road tanker crash

NORTH DUMFRIES — A car travelling through the intersection of Trussler Road and Cedar Creek in North Dumfries Saturday morning collided with a tanker truck, causing the truck to flip over, leaking 10,000 litres of liquid fertilizer in a ditch.

The crash happened at this two-way stop just after 9:30 Saturday morning.

The driver of the truck sustained minor head injuries and the three passengers in the car were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Several local fire departments responded to the crash and immediately created a berm around the spill to contain the leaked fertilizer in the ditch. Cleanup crews arrived quickly. The Ministry of Environment was called and Cedar Creek Road was shut down for several hours.

The truck contained an estimated 15,000 litres of the liquid fertilizer as well as 500 litres of a herbicide that was in a separate compartment within the tank. The herbicide did not leak.

Mark Rabbior, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, said crews worked quickly with industrial vacuums and an excavator ensuring none of the liquid would spread.

“Our role is go out and look and be satisfied there was no environmental impact,” he said. “Most of the spill was cleanup (Saturday).

“They contained it quickly.”