MacKay Bridge reopened, evacuation order lifted in north end Dartmouth after ‘highly explosive’ chemical removed

Emergency services respond to chemical spill at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth. (CTV/Paul DeWitt)

An evacuation order was lifted and the MacKay Bridge is open after emergency responders removed a “highly explosive” chemical from a research facility in the north end of Dartmouth, N.S., Wednesday evening.

An emergency alert from the Halifax Regional Municipality originally reported a chemical spill at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography around 4:20 p.m.

In a news release, the municipality said it received a call to the facility about a possible spill involving formaldehyde. They instead found a 250ml container of dry picric acid.

“In a dry state, this chemical is highly explosive,” the release says. “Given the nature of the chemical, Halifax Regional Police have deployed members of their Explosive Disposal Unit.”

The municipality said the chemical was removed from the property around 6 p.m.

A 250-metre mandatory evacuation was place around the facility and was lifted when the chemical was removed.

As a result of the order, the MacKay Bridge, which is beside the facility, was closed but it reopened around 6 p.m.

Halifax Transit advised, due to the closure of the MacKay Bridge, some routes would take detours.

According to Nova Scotia Power’s website, more than 380 customers in the area are without power as of 6 p.m.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.