HADLEY — After closing off part of Route 47 for more than nine hours Thursday, members of the local fire and police departments, with the assistance of a regional hazardous materials team, were able to safely remove and dispose of a 5-gallon barrel of picric acid found inside a Hibbard Lane barn.
The drum, which was discovered by Beverly Rhodes at about 2 p.m. Thursday, was surrounded by containers holding several other dangerous chemicals and was labeled “picric acid - do not disturb,” according to a statement issued by Hadley Fire Chief James E. Kicza.
Picric acid is a highly sensitive explosive compound, similar to TNT, that was used to trigger controlled explosions during demolitions and was used in artillery shells by the U.S. military during World War I.
Kicza said that in the evening hours Thursday the haz-mat team conducted air monitoring and sampling in an attempt to identify the contents of the bottles and containers surrounding the picric acid to determine whether they were safe to be moved.
Then, after the other chemicals were removed from the vicinity of the picric acid and packaged in hazardous-materials containers, a state police bomb squad unit determined the contents of the barrel, safely packaged the picric acid and transported it to a safe location for disposal, according to the statement.
“Ms. Rhodes, who is in charge of the Hibbard Lane property, did the right thing by contacting the Fire Department after uncovering the dangerous chemicals,” Kicza said.
If you come across items that may be unsafe, the Hadley Fire Department advises contacting them immediately at 413-584-0874 or the Department of Environmental Protection at 888-304-1133.
— OWEN BOSS
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