CHEMICALS that spilt during the inferno that burnt down French’s Dry Cleaning business were the cause of a potential hazard in Healesville last week.
The site of the reported gas leak on Wednesday 26 September has since been given the all-clear by the CFA, who says there is no present danger to pedestrians.
People passing by the former site of French’s Dry Cleaning on Maroondah Highway experienced a strong, gas-like odour on Wednesday afternoon, which seeped around the immediate area.
Healesville CFA was called in to conduct tests and determine whether the chemical posed a risk to people.
The CFA’s gas detection crew from Dandenong was brought in to determine the cause of the incident, though there were no evacuations in the surrounding area.
The area around Maroondah Highway and Wilson Street remained cordoned off until early Thursday afternoon, when the site was deemed to be safe.
Healesville CFA captain Graeme Bates said the odour was caused by chemicals that spilt during the fire on 10 July.
A cleaning chemical, Peraclean, soaked into a small area of the soil and contractors shifting the concrete during their clean-up caused the chemicals to release gases, which pose no risk outside of the confined area.
Mr Bates said after the CFA’s presence at the site, Yarra Ranges Council and the Environment Protection Agency had been arranging the safe removal of the contaminated soil.
Mr Bates said there was no risk of contamination or exposure to chemicals, and CFA incident control stated the air quality in the area was within safe limits.
