Ontario Provincial Police issue public-safety warning related to discarded hazardous waste

Hazardous waste that appears to be from an illegal synthetic drug lab has been turning up in ditches in a community northwest of Toronto, Ontario Provincial Police said Monday as they issued a public-safety warning to area residents.

Police said they ’ve received several reports of suspicious-looking waste dumped in ditches in the Caledon, Ont., area, sometimes in garbage bags or large plastic pails. Sgt. Peter Leon said a new suspicious disposal was discovered on Monday, making it the fifth instance known to police in the last week.

The disposals have been made in relatively isolated areas where there is no overhead lighting, Leon said. An investigation into the matter is ongoing, but he said police suspect the disposals are happening overnight. Investigators who examined the dumped materials believe they are coming from an illegal synthetic drug lab, Leon said.

The substances found in the ditches have been in both solid and liquid forms, and have been hard to

identify, but police believe they are the byproducts of drug production, Leon said.

Police have warned that anyone who comes into contact with material with a strong chemical smell or any kind of residue should avoid approaching it and contact police immediately.

They say a particular risk exists this week, when many children on their March break may be spending more time outdoors.

“It’s always best to err on the side of caution, especially when you’re dealing with very hazardous byproducts of drug production,” Leon said. “It could cause that farmer or property owner a great deal of difficulty. It’s certainly not something that we want to see make its way towards anybody’s stable, that’s for sure.”