UPDATE: Town's Transfer Station Shuttered Due To 'Hazard' Now Reopened

BRANFORD, CT—UPDATE, 11:50 a.m.: According to Branford Fire Department Chief Thomas Mahoney, "An unknown chemical was released, causing one employee to feel ill."

He told Patch that the employee was "brought for evaluation as a precaution by their supervisor."

"It was most likely the result of a discarded aerosol or gas released when the solid waste was being crushed by the pay loader," Mahoney said. He noted that the department's "investigation was inconclusive as the product dissipated, the dumpster was removed from the building and the station opened."

By 12:25 p.m., the Transfer Station had reopened.

And, while the BFD was investigating, the East Haven Fire Department "provided mutual aid as the volume of incidents taxed available Branford units."

Those included a motor vehicle accident at West Main Street and Pent Road, "causing RT 1 to be completely closed for about 20 minutes, as well as a serious medical emergency off Cherry Hill Road."

Original story:

The Town's Solid Waste, Recycling & Sustainability department said that the "Transfer Station is currently CLOSED due to an ongoing hazard."

In a community message post on social media, the department noted that it is "working to reopen as soon as possible."

Patch reached out to town officials for a definition of the hazard. In an email, the Solid Waste/Recycling department said, "There is a hazmat incident being investigated by the fire department."

If Patch gets more information on the nature of the incident, this post will be updated.

The department said that the issue will not affect or delay curbside trash and recycling collection. That said, given Monday's holiday, curbside trash and recycling is already operating on a one-day delay this week.