On Friday, February 18, a chemistry expert collected samples of the substances found in an abandoned truck in Łąka.
How many chemicals are there?
As we managed to establish: “quite a lot.”
How serious is the threat?
Preliminary inspection of the cargo indicates that the chemicals are securely packaged, so there is no major threat.
Who brought the chemicals and where were they supposed to go?
The prosecutor’s office is not providing detailed information on the matter for now.
What penalty could the driver and carrier face?
The investigation is currently being conducted under Article 183 § 1 of the Criminal Code:
Anyone who, in violation of regulations, stores, removes, processes, recovers, neutralizes or transports waste or substances under such conditions or in such a manner that this may endanger human life or health, cause a significant deterioration in the quality of water, air or land, or cause extensive destruction in the plant or animal world, is subject to a penalty of imprisonment of between 3 months and 5 years.
We will certainly return to this subject.
Let us remind you. The incident occurred on Thursday, February 17, during the morning hours. The emergency services received information that hazardous materials might be in an abandoned truck parked by a petrol station in Łąka. Unofficially, there was talk of radioactive materials.
The police, fire service and a specialist group of chemical firefighters from Legnica were called to the scene.
Before 2:00 p.m., we managed to establish that a suspicious chemical substance had been found in the truck. Fortunately, reports of radioactive materials were not confirmed.
After 4:00 p.m., we received a statement from the Voivodeship Inspectorate for Environmental Protection:
WIOŚ in Wrocław received a report from officers of the National Revenue Administration about a vehicle located in one of the car parks near Bolesławiec. Because of an unpleasant smell around the vehicle, there was a suspicion that hazardous waste was in the trailer. The vehicle had been left without a driver, so it was not possible to inspect either the vehicle and its cargo or any documentation for the transported goods. A parking ticket had been paid for the parked vehicle until 9:40 p.m. on February 14 this year. From that moment, the vehicle’s driver was also absent.
Immediately after receiving information about an abandoned transport carrying waste of unknown origin, WIOŚ inspectors went to the vehicle’s location. They took action at the scene, where the police were already present. The relevant units were then notified, namely the Fire Service and the Crisis Management Centre.
The Fire Service determined that there was no radiation hazard. However, because of the distinctive chemical smell coming from the truck, a specialist chemical rescue unit of the Fire Service was called to conduct further investigations. Fire Service officers established a safety zone.
The inspectors carried out a preliminary inspection. Further checks and explanatory activities will then be conducted to determine what is in the truck and what the containers and barrels contain.
Beata Merenda, WIOŚ in Wrocław