Chemicals from U of A disposed of in 2 detonations by Edmonton police Saturday morning

CBC
·2 min read
Two detonations occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday to dispose of chemicals from U of A research labs, police say. (Shutterstock - image credit)
Two detonations occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday to dispose of chemicals from U of A research labs, police say. (Shutterstock - image credit)

Some Edmontonians may have woken up to a couple of loud bangs Saturday morning, as police and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services helped dispose of chemicals from the University of Alberta.

Around midnight, the Edmonton Police Service posted on social media that it would be helping with "a planned and controlled" chemical transport and disposal from the U of A to Hawrelak Park Saturday morning. EPS warned residents living nearby they would likely hear a bang between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.

"The disposal is a routine exercise," EPS spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout told CBC News via email.

Every now and then, the U of A requests that the force help with the safe disposal of hazardous materials, Voordenhout explained.

The late-night social media posts, which caused a stir of curiosity and concern, aimed to balance between informing early-morning park-goers without encouraging curious visitors, Voordenhout said.

"The goal is to keep citizens away from the park for their safety and to allow police to do their work," she said.

To ensure public safety and reduce interruptions to Edmontonians' daily lives, EPS bomb technicians safely detonated the substance in the parking lot at Hawrelak Park, away from any residential areas.

Two detonations occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Saturday's disposal involved expired diisopropyl ether and 1-4 dioxane — peroxide-forming solvents commonly used in biochemical research, a University of Alberta spokesperson told CBC News via email.

Peroxides — chemical compounds that are explosive — and peroxide-forming chemicals are among the most hazardous substances in a chemical lab and pose a significant risk of injury and property damage, according to a U of A safety manual.

Peroxide-forming chemicals must be identified with a date of purchase and disposed of properly before their expiry date, the manual says.

Peroxides and peroxide-forming chemicals cannot go down a drain, it adds. The federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act sets out how to label the chemicals being disposed of, and the measures required to transport them.

The university's lab waste management program would orchestrate the disposal.

Chemical disposals are always controlled, and carried out according to, or exceeding, industry standards, the university spokesperson said.

Hawrelak Park was closed during the transport and disposal, but has since reopened, Voordenhout said.

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