BURNABY, B.C. (CP) - Fire crews were dousing a hydrogen tanker Saturday that they worried was still leaking flammable gas hours after it crashed causing an evacuation.
"This is liquid hydrogen that was being transported and it's incredibly flammable," said Jake Reynolds, assistant chief of the Burnaby Fire Department.
At around 9 p.m. Friday, a tanker moving fuel at a suburban Ballard Power Systems plant backed into an industrial building.
The impact ruptured a hole in the tank, sparking a fire and leak.
The truck driver suffered minor burns to his face but there were no other injuries or damage to the plant, Reynolds said.
Crews let the fire burn out but were afraid the gas could explode again.
A nearby golf course was evacuated, along with dozens of Ballard employees and those at a nearby Future Shop warehouse.
Reynolds said he is keeping a three-kilometre stretch around the hydrogen fuel-cell development company shut down until at least 5 p.m. Saturday.
"Everything seems to be under control and I don't think the tanker is still leaking," Reynolds said.
"We're pouring water on it right now and waiting for people from the company that transports this fuel to come up from California and inspect it."
Emergency crews were concerned about wind spreading the noxious fumes to surrounding areas.
Ballard Power Systems is known internationally as a leader in hydrogen fuel-cell technology.
Source:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2...572958-cp.html
Hydrogen Fuel-cell Unsafe?
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