O’CONNOR — Provincial environmental officials were notified after a propane tanker rolled over in O’Connor Township last Friday.
O’Connor and Nolalu volunteer firefighters were among the first responders called to the scene just before 9 a.m. Friday. The incident closed Blaikie Road for roughly 10 hours.
Lorna Buob, the township’s clerk and treasurer, said, despite the fact that dangerous goods were involved, it ultimately was a “very minor incident.” A driver pulled over with mechanical problems, she said, but went too far and stopped where there was a small ravine.
No other vehicles were involved, she added, and there were no injuries.
Sarah Shoemaker, the Nolalu fire chief, said no propane was spilled and the tank itself remained intact through the crash and the retrieval of the vehicle afterwards.
One home was evacuated by fire officials and the OPP as a precaution, she added. The residents were able to return later that day. Three other households were notified to be on alert to leave should it be necessary.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks was notified, Shoemaker added, as was the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre and Transport Canada’s Canadian Transport Emergency Centre.
“Safety was at the forefront of everyone's mind, and the incident was resolved with no complications, utilizing a safety plan developed by Nolalu and O'Connor fire departments, in conjunction with the expertise brought to the scene by Sarjeant Propane and Gary's Towing,” Shoemaker said in an email to Newswatch.
A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks said their Spills Action Centre was notified and a compliance officer followed up with emergency services.
The propane tank was checked with gas detection equipment, the ministry said, which determined there was no propane leak. There was also no spill of diesel fuel from the truck itself.
That meant that no further response was required by the ministry, the spokesperson said.
This story has been updated to include information from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
