Contents of Barrel Responsible for Hazmat Closure

According to Public Affairs Officer Mary L. Maguire Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management received a 9-1-1 for a potential hazardous product that was on sitting in the median strip on Rt. 7 near the Children’s Center Bridge, on Thursday, Sept. 22.

Fire and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene shortly before 5:30 p.m. along with the Leesburg Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, and VDOT to identify a potential hazardous product. 

Per protocol, a 300 foot safe zone was identified and secured to isolate a barrel and unknown product. As a result of operations in the area, Route 7 was closed in both directions for approximately two hours, she said, while units worked to identify the unknown and potentially dangerous contents. 

Fire and Rescue, along with VDOT, were able to identify and contact the contractor who advised command of the barrel contents. The contractor’s current protocol was to seal the container at the end of a shift, abandon it in the median, where it was to be picked up by another company who then disposes of the substance. A suspicious barrel, with no identifying markings, was called in to 911 by a passerby prior to it being pickup for the day.

Maguire said that the substance was identified as a water-based product, which is used to capture runoff and debris when cleaning and sandblasting the bridge. With no further hazards found, the Bypass was once again opened to traffic. No injuries have been reported.