Crash site stable after truck hauling hydrogen peroxide rolls over near Parksville, B.C.
First responders set up a detour on Highway 19A near Parksville, B.C. on Thursday afternoon after a trailer truck transporting a load of hydrogen peroxide rolled over onto its side.
Parksville Fire Chief Marc Norris says firefighters were called to the crash near the intersection of Highway 19A and Franklin's Gull Road just after 4 p.m.
"When we arrived on scene, we found a tractor unit carrying 70 per cent hydrogen peroxide on its side with a small ground fire around it, and with some product seemingly leaking from the vehicle," he said Friday.
"What we had was a small fire from the peroxide hitting the ground and a reaction," said Norris.
The truck is pictured on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022. (CTV News)
Firefighters quickly shut down the highway in both directions as they doused the flames.
A detour around the highway was still in effect as of Friday.
"At this point, we're just monitoring the situation as the hazmat technicians prepare to offload the truck," said Norris.
There were no injuries in the crash, firefighters say, and the driver of the truck was able to exit the vehicle on his own.
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer that's used for a variety of purposes, including bleaching and disinfecting items.
This load was bound for an island pulp mill, according to Norris.
"In Parksville we had, for many years, a trans-loading facility where we loaded hydrogen peroxide," said the fire chief.
"It was offloaded from railcars onto trucks [going to places] like pulp mills," he said.
"During that time, we had a lot of training, but we had zero incidents. This is the first incident that I've attended involving this kind of hydrogen peroxide," said Norris.
The truck is pictured on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022. (CTV News)
The fire chief says he's unsure how long the detour will be in effect. Crews were at the scene Friday afternoon waiting for a new trailer to arrive to load the product and ship it to its intended destination.
Once all of the chemical has been loaded and delivered, the overturned vehicle will be removed from the site. Then, an environmental assessment will take place "to make sure there's no permanent damage to the environment."
If there is, remediation will be needed.
Norris says that while some hydrogen peroxide leaked from the truck, much of it was contained in auxiliary piping, which did not break.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.