An early morning explosion shook Coniston this morning.
Deputy Fire Chief Jesse Oshell tweeted an image from the scene this morning. Oshell said Greater Sudbury Fire Services is on scene while a fire hazmat response team is on route “to ensure there are no other concerns.”
Early morning explosion in the Coniston Industrial Park attended to by @CGSFireServices No risk to the public and crews remain on scene while Fire Hazmat Response on route to ensure no other concerns. pic.twitter.com/Mg0XLCTEJw
— Jesse Oshell (@JesseOshell) November 18, 2021
On Twitter, the City of Greater Sudbury said a shipping container at GFL Environmental Ltd., which is located in the Coniston Industrial Park exploded, sending the strong smell of chlorine through parts of the town near the park, which is located on Smelter Road.
Road access is limited.
“There is no current threat to the public,” the city stated.
Residents of #Coniston were alerted to a loud noise and the strong smell of chlorine after an explosion in a shipping container at GFL on Smelter Rd. There is limited access to the road. Fire services are on the scene this morning. There is no current threat to the public.
— Greater Sudbury (@GreaterSudbury) November 18, 2021
Paul Craig, GFL Environmental district manager, said the explosion occurred sometime between 1 and 2 a.m., from what he's been told. He said at this time he's not aware of the contents of the shipping container that exploded.
"That's still under investigation," Craig said.
He added that GFL is a new tenant at the Coniston Industrial Park and is six months into its construction phase. GFL is a diversified environmental services company specializing in solid waste and liquid waste management, as well as soil remediation. It runs a network of facilities across Canada and the United States.
Greater Sudbury Police responded to the explosion overnight and briefly closed Highway 17 at the Garson Coniston Road intersection.