Dumping of hazardous materials in Caledon a concern

March 15, 2018 · 0 Comments

The week which ended Monday saw five cases in which Caledon OPP officers responded to reports of hazardous materials being improperly dumped.
This investigation is being led by members of detachment’s Community Street Crime Unit with assistance from other specialty units within the OPP.
Last Monday (March 5) saw officers responding to a report of several garbage bags being dumped on Boston Mills Road, east of Creditview Road. The incident was reported to police at about 10:45 a.m. While at the scene, police detected a strong chemical odour coming from the waste and observed white powder inside the bags. There were 72 black plastic bags that were removed from the ditch and samples of the contents were taken by the OPP’s Identification Services for analysis. Assistance was also provided by the OPP’s Urban Search and Rescue (UCRT) and Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Explosives (CBRNE) Response Team.
Last Wednesday morning brought a report of garbage bags on Mountainview Road, south of Charleston Sideroad shortly before 10 a.m. Approximately 30 black garbage bags were removed from a private property. The contents contained a strong chemical odour with a crystalized substance inside. Specialty units within the OPP were engaged to assist the investigation, which included Identification Services, Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, and members from UCRT/CBRNE Response Team.
That afternoon, at about 4:20 p.m., police responded to a report of garbage bags discovered on a private property on The Gore Road north of Patterson Sideroad. Police were informed by the homeowner that approximately 25 to 40 black garbage bags were removed by the owner to another property owned by the complainant in Caledon. The bags contained a white powdery substance and possessed a strong odour. The OPP’s specialty units — Identification Services and members from UCRT/CBRNE Response Team were once again engaged.
The following day (March 8) at about 11:30 a.m., police responded to a report of garbage disposed at a private property on Dixie Road south of King Street. Information was received that waste that was believed to be hazardous was left at the property one month prior to reporting, but had since been discarded.
Monday morning had police responding to another report shortly before noon. Garbage was reported on McLaughlin Road north of The Grange Side Road. There were 21 bags removed from the ditch and white powder was observed inside the bags. Assistance was again provided by the OPP’s UCRT/CBRNE Response Team.
Police are asking the public to report any suspicious persons, vehicles and activity observed in the area. Taking note of descriptions of persons and vehicles (such as licence plate numbers) can help them in solving these crimes. The disposal of hazardous waste is a crime that affects everyone in Caledon.
Police are asking the public to be the eyes and ears of the community, working collaboratively with the police, who are the hands and the feet, to identify the individuals responsible for harming the town and hold them accountable.
“Clandestine drug labs, and the drugs they manufacture, have a toxic and destructive impact on the lives of people, their communities, and the environment,” OPP Deputy Commissioner Scott Tod (retired) stated in 2013. “They can also lead to a wide spectrum of violent acts and property crimes involving criminal organizations.”
“The production of one pound of methamphetamine results in about six pounds of toxic chemical waste,” he added. “And these ‘cooks,’ as we call them, are not very likely to follow the latest Ontario WHMIS standards when handling these chemicals and the waste they create. I don’t know that we would even call them expert or certified chemists. This toxic waste is usually disposed of through careless dumping resulting in potential contamination of nearby land and waterways.”
Anyone with information regarding the disposal of hazardous waste in Caledon is asked to contact OPP at 905-584-2241 or toll free at 1-888-310-1122.

OPP has responded to a number of reports involving the disposal of waste in ditches over the last several days. When examined, the waste appears to be from a synthetic drug lab and is extremely hazardous. Precautionary measures were immediately undertaken in each incident to secure the area which then allowed for specialized resources from the OPP and Caledon Fire and Emergency Services to be brought in to safely remove the discarded waste. OPP is issuing a public safety warning. Should anyone locate any discarded waste products that possess a strong chemical based odour, have solidified or liquid residue and appear similar to the provided photographs, they are asked to contact them immediately. Under no circumstances should any member of the public go near any of these discarded products. Police are also encouraging parents to share this message with children of all ages during March break and as spring brings them back outdoors.