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Theft of chemical from rail car to make meth. Simulation shows it could happen here

This is a real case scenario that could happen in North Bay on the railway or cooling plants in the city

Drug dealers stealing chemicals from rail cars to manufacture meth!

It could happen here, warn officials, and to be prepared, a simulation of that scenario occurred in North Bay Tuesday morning.

Anhydrous ammonia rail cars travel through this city constantly. It is used as an agricultural fertilizer and industrial refrigerant, but it's also a key ingredient in the illegal production of methamphetamines. Illegal drug makers often steal anhydrous ammonia from areas where it is stored and used. It's a liquid under pressure, however, it becomes a toxic gas when released into the air.

"This is an absolutely real case scenario that could happen here," Hazardous Materials Technician Chris Cuthbertson told BayToday at the scene. "We get warnings. It's happened across North America."

The simulation at the Ottawa Valley Railway yards off Oak St. this morning mirrored what other communities have previously experienced.

A pair of drug dealers tried to siphon off anhydrous ammonia from the rail car into propane tanks used on barbeques. An accident happened and a spill occurred, turning the liquid into a toxic gas killing them both. A railway employee sent to investigate also died from the fumes.

The staged event brought into play North Bay's emergency plan involving, fire, police, EMS, city officials, and others to test the effectiveness of the response. It was also used by OVR to test railway yard security.

"The Ottawa Valley Railway was very concerned about that, so they tested their security today also."

Cuthbertson says local fire officials are well aware of how dangerous this can be, and said if the simulated drill was real, would lead to the evacuation of the entire downtown area, including the ONR seniors apartments.

"We've made ourselves very aware of it. Our technicians know how to respond to the level of personal protective equipment to utilize.

"Anhydrous ammonia is attracted to moisture so it will go to armpit areas or any moisture points on the body and create burns. It's also a huge inhalation hazard. It's very toxic to humans and if you breathe it in, you're burning your lungs and become unconscious almost immediately."

Firefighters and emergency service responders going into a hazard zone need to make sure they have protected themselves, and they have the proper equipment and know how to use it before performing a rescue.

Many emergency scenarios these days involve simulated terrorist attacks, but Cuthbertson says they chose a chemical theft because it is such a problem in the rail and other commercial industries.

"With the manufacture of methamphetamine and how big it is these days, it's become more of a problem, unfortunately."

The Ottawa Fire Department partnered with the local department today because of the specialized equipment they own, and would respond with North Bay if such a thing happened in a small community like Mattawa.

Paul Lafreniere is the interim Fire Chief in Mattawa and was an interested spectator as his community sits on Highway 17 and has much the same volume of hazardous goods passing through as North Bay.

"Trucks carrying hazardous materials travel both ways through our community as well as on the railway," he said. "We're exposed to the same risk and hazard this city is."

It's happened before.

"We've attended an extrication on our highway corridor where we've had chemical carrying units and you have to identify what's in them.

"We don't have the resources to have a hazmat team in our community so we rely on the unit from North Bay to assist us. It's key!"

When stolen, the toxic gas can be unintentionally released, injuring emergency responders, police, the public, and the criminals themselves.

"That's why we practice these scenarios," stated Cuthbertson.