Truck carrying radioactive material ignites on Hwy 10:
Transport was headed to Centre de Medecins Nucleaire du
Sherbrooke
The Record (Sherbrooke)
Fri 02
Aug 2002
A tractor-trailer caught fire on Highway 10 early yesterday morning after the brakes jammed on the vehicle transporting hazardous material, according to Surete de Quebec spokesperson Constable Manon Gaignard.
The SQ received a call at approximately 4:15 a.m. reporting the accident near Carignan, involving 2 kilograms of radioactive iodine being transported to the Centre de Medecins Nucleaire du Sherbrooke. The substance is used for exams in the department of nuclear medicine to diagnose any malfunctioning of the thyroid glands, said CHUS spokesperson Robert Nadon.
The highway was closed for five hours due to the accident, with traffic backed up nearly 10 kilometres, to enable officials from the Minister of Environment to inspect the damage and contact the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The left lane was closed to traffic until midday yesterday.
"The trailer burned completely," said Gaignard. A minor accident occurred on the other side of the road as well, she added, because of curious onlookers watching the blazing truck during rush hour.
The immediate report filed by Transport Canada shows that there was no radioactive spill, the material was enclosed in a protective capsule and remained untouched by the flames, explained Michel Cleroux, communications officer for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.