Containers with Hazardous Chemical Removed and Destroyed
Waltham Fire discovered a possible chemical or explosive while responding to 425 Waverley Oaks Road Monday.
The Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad was summoned and discovered the hazardous substance diethyl ether, a highly volatile and flammable liquid.
“The substance was a liquid chemical in two separate containers that had apparently been in a flammable material storage cabinet for some time and had begun deteriorating in a way that posed additional fire and explosion hazards,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Fire Services (DFS).
Bomb technicians requested additional assistance from the DFS Joint Hazard Incident Response Team (JHIRT), comprised of Hazmat technicians familiar with reactive or energetic materials.
The Hazmat personnel concluded that the substance could not be transferred to new containers and needed to be removed from the site.
“They donned the appropriate protective equipment, safely transported the containers to a remote secondary location outside Waltham and countercharged them without incident,” said the DFS spokesperson.
Duffy Properties, which manages the property in question, lent bomb techs a truck loaded with sand to transport the containers.
No one was hurt, and there is no danger to the public.
Photos: Peter Lobo
