Driver and Calgary carrier charged after a tanker's unsecured hatch spilled styrene resin along 4.5 km of Guelph's Hanlon Expressway
The spill of a highly flammable liquid closed the southbound Hanlon for more than 10 hours on Tuesday, Guelph police say.
A tanker driver and the Calgary company he drives for have both been charged after a highly flammable liquid leaked from the truck along roughly 4.5 kilometres of the Hanlon Expressway in Guelph, Ont., on Tuesday afternoon.
According to a Guelph Police Service release issued Nov. 12, investigators found that styrene resin solution escaped from the tanker because a hatch had not been properly secured.
What happened
At about 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, a Guelph police traffic officer driving south on the Hanlon saw liquid on the roadway stretching from College Avenue West to Downey Road. The officer found a tanker stopped on the southbound shoulder near Downey Road, sitting in a large pool of liquid.
The product was identified as styrene resin, which police describe as a highly flammable hazardous material. The Guelph Fire Department, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of the Environment were notified. A Guelph officer trained in commercial motor vehicle and dangerous goods inspections also attended.
Because the spill presented a significant fire hazard, all southbound lanes were closed between Speedvale Avenue West and Downey Road. The OPP took command of the scene for the cleanup, and the highway stayed closed until about 12:45 a.m. As a precaution, children at activities at a nearby YMCA were moved indoors because of concerns about fumes and the risk of ignition.
The charges
Police said a 30-year-old Brampton man has been charged with driving a commercial motor vehicle without conducting an inspection, and with failing to comply with federal safety standards by transporting an insecure load.
The Calgary company was charged with failing to comply with safety standards and with failing to ensure required performance standards were met. Police did not name the company.
None of the charges has been proven in court.
Why it matters for tank fleets
The police account points to two basic steps: the inspection before the trip and the security of the load itself. In this case a single hatch that was not properly closed turned into a 10-hour closure of a major Guelph artery, a multi-agency hazmat response and charges against both the driver and the carrier.
The cleanup drew officers from Guelph police and the OPP, crews from several Guelph fire stations, provincial environment officials, City of Guelph environmental protection staff, a Ministry of Transportation enforcement officer, highway maintenance crews and specialized traffic control and crash support vehicles, police said.