Acid spill closes lanes more than 24 hours
Some soil in the area had to be excavated following dangerous chemical spill on Highway 406
The northbound lanes of Highway 406 remained closed for more than 24 hours as hazmat and cleanup crews tackled Wednesday’s hydrochloric acid spill from a tanker truck.
The northbound lanes north of Glendale Avenue were still closed at 3 p.m. Thursday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation wrote in an email exchange.
The damage was caused by a northbound tanker truck hauling 9,800 kilograms of hydrochloric acid. The truck driver pulled over near the Glendale exit.
“Our preliminary assessment of the pavement concluded that damage to the highway surface was minimal, though we will continue to monitor its condition,” the spokesperson said.
The tanker-trailer suffered a mechanical malfunction that caused small fractures to the tank and a slow leak of hydrochloric acid (HCL), Ministry of the Environment spokesperson Gary Wheeler said in an email exchange Thursday. No other chemicals were involved in the spill.
“At this time, the ministry cannot confirm the amount of HCL that spilled from the tanker as staff continues to gather information and monitor cleanup efforts and progress.
“The spilled HCL impacted soil in the highway median, on the embankment on the side of the highway and a small area next to the catch basin outlet.”
Those areas have been excavated and the soil will be disposed of at a landfill approved to receive this type of waste, Wheeler said.
The remaining contents of the tanker truck were pumped into another tanker late Wednesday night.
Cleanup crews continued to assess the situation and used specialized equipment to collect acidic materials in nearby catch basins and storm sewers, Wheeler said.
HCL can cause burns if it comes in contact with skin, and its fumes can cause irritation, Wheeler said.
“We do not anticipate any impacts to human health or the environment as the spilled material was contained, and no long-term impacts are anticipated once the cleanup is complete,” Wheeler said.
A detour was established to divert northbound vehicles off the 406 at the Glendale exit.
The Ministry of Transportation anticipated being able to reopen the northbound lanes sometime Thursday afternoon, though there was no firm timeline, a ministry spokesperson said.
Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said there were concerns about the condition of the tall concrete sound barriers at the spill site. Schmidt said some acid went underneath the wall.
The initial report said the driver pulled the truck onto the road’s narrow shoulder and that there wasn’t a collision. However, some debris was scattered along the highway.