Formaldehyde spill affects N12 traffic
About 500l of formaldehyde solution was spilled in Cloverdene, on March 16.
“At around 6.24pm in the evening, Disaster and Emergency Management Services of Ekurhuleni (DEMS) received a call of a hazmat incident (hazardous chemical spillage) on the N12 eastbound just after the Putfontein on-ramp opposite the N12 informal settlement,” said William Ntladi, DEMS spokesperson.
“Hazmat technicians and firefighters from Rynfield Fire Station swiftly responded to intervene.
“On scene assessment, it was found to be a spillage of a formaldehyde solution, which is corrosive and flammable.
“Following the trail, it was found to have come from one of the plots in Third Avenue in Cloverdene.”
Ntladi said part of the highway was affected during the clean-up operations.
The discharge was contained by DEMS and Rapid Spill Response, a company which handles chemical spills.
The clean-up operation took the teams until midday the following day, before the area was declared safe.
“It is alleged the tanker valve of a truck carrying the chemical was accidentally damaged and, en route, it started leaking without the driver realising.”
Around 500l of formaldehyde solution was estimated to have spilled.
No casualties were reported.
“The incident is still under investigations to determine which truck company is responsible for the incident,” Ntladi concluded.
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