Acid spill shuts down busy Hastings road for five hours

Alexandra Cres, Alexandra St and a section of Karamu Rd North were closed while firefighters worked to dilute and clean up the acid. Photo / Fenz

A firefighter is warning people to safely secure hazardous substances to their vehicles after an acid spill shut down part of a busy road in Hastings for just over five hours.

Firefighters responded to a report of an incident in which the container of acid fell off the back of a vehicle in Alexandra Cres, Hastings, at 9.08am on Thursday.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said three fire appliances and a support vehicle initially responded.

Hastings senior station officer Joel Fraser said it was a 5-litre container of muriatic acid, also known as hydrochloric acid.

Although they were unsure of how much had leaked, firefighters treated the spill as though the entire container had leaked.

Alexandra Cres, Alexandra St and a section of Karamu Rd North were closed until 12.30pm while firefighters worked with a Hawke’s Bay Regional Council pollution response officer and Hastings District Council stormwater officer to dilute and clean up the acid.

They wore “level 3” protective suits to protect against chemicals and used soda ash to neutralise the acid before they absorbed it, packaged it and disposed of it with a third party.

Hastings senior station officer Joel Fraser says people should make sure products are safely secured to the back of vehicles, particularly when transporting hazardous substances. Photo / Fenz

People at the scene of the spill were checked and no one was injured.

Fraser said people should make sure their products were safely secured to the back of their vehicles, particularly when transporting hazardous substances.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on the environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz