Drama as chemical tanker crashes in village

Jul 13 2009 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

Meanwhile, Lee Buckingham, group manager at Northumberland Fire and Rescue, said: “Because we were unsure what chemicals they were we committed two people wearing breathing apparatus and protective chemical clothing to do a risk assessment.

“We were able to reduce and contain the leak from the vehicle and prevent it from entering the water course.

“We contained the situation before handing over control to a private company who specialise in vehicle recovery.”

Mr Buckingham said a plate on the back of the tanker allowed crews to determine which chemicals it was carrying.

“It was leaking from three areas and we used absorbent pads to stem the flow.

“It was a potentially dangerous situation but we managed to contain it. We put up a 50-metre cordon around the tanker and, due to the time it happened and the proximity of the public house, we told them that they should all stay in doors and shut the doors and windows for the time being.”

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said they were contacted after it was suspected the chemicals could be dangerous.

“We are not concerned that there is a significant threat to the environment as a result of this accident,” she said.

“The drains that were nearby go straight to the sewage works rather than going directly into the river but as a precaution we liaised with Northumbrian Water.

“It was an incident that had the potential to be much more serious but thankfully we managed to contain it.”