Ottawa fire HazMat team contains large leak of ‘green liquid’ in downtown core

Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) HazMat team contained a large leak in Ottawa’s downtown core Tuesday morning.

Around 7 a.m., the OFS Communications Division received a call from a monitoring company reporting active alarms in the 200 block of Queen Street.

Firefighters arrived on scene within four minutes of being dispatched and confirmed a large amount of “green liquid” pouring out of the multi-storey commercial structure and the HVAC system on the roof. The fire service later confirmed that the liquid was a coolant solution.

While crews were on scene, a worker was injured in an eight-foot fall off a ladder. The worker was assessed by firefighters until the Ottawa Paramedic Service arrived on scene.

The OFS HazMat team was dispatched to the scene along with the heavy-duty spills pod, as approximately 500 litres leaked out of the HVAC system.

A large amount of absorbent was brought and used at the scene.

The team also set up a diking system to create a barrier to control the movement of the liquid and block it from entering nearby sewers.

The spill was contained and the scene was cleared around 9:15 a.m.