On Friday, 27th February 2009, Operation Merlin (Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan) was declared for an incident under the M6 Motorway at Junction 34, Caton Road. The incident involved three drums of sodium bi-sulphate, two of which were leaking after they had fallen from a lorry negotiating the junction. Andre Hunt, Duty Emergency Incident Officer, represented Lancaster City Council and used resources from CCDS to help clean-up the chemical spillage.
The incident required a joint approach with colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Lancashire Constabulary, North West Ambulance Service, the Environment Agency, the County Analyst and the haulier.
The fire service used sand to dam the solution and then gelling agents to solidify. Finally, pads were deployed to absorb the chemical concluding the emergency phase.
We then devised a recovery plan, which involved the haulage company removing the pads and the mounds of sand. Dry sand was then sprinkled over the top following which a Council road sweeper cleaned the area to ensure passing vehicles were not damaged when the road re-opened.
In addition to the clean up Lancaster City Council’s involvement included assisting in determining if evacuation of nearby houses was necessary and, in conjunction with the County Analyst, helping to identify routes for the run off water to avoid contaminating water courses
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