About ten thousand liters of drug waste was found at the Steeg in Schijndel on Wednesday evening. Ten containers of a thousand liters each were lying in the grass next to the road between Schijndel and Heeswijk-Dinther. Most containers were filled to the brim.
A number of the barrels were broken, causing liquid to leak directly into the roadside and into an adjacent ditch. With the Zuid-Willemsvaart just a stone’s throw away, the emergency services scaled up considerably. Officers who were the first to arrive at the barrels suffered from stinging eyes.
A special fire brigade team provided assistance, wearing protective clothing and plugging the leaks. The emergency services worked all night to pump out and clean up the leaking barrels as quickly as possible.
It involved at least ten large containers of 1,000 liters, the barrels were full of ‘a chemical, strongly smelling liquid’, according to a 112 correspondent on site.
Firefighters washed down
Firefighters took measurements at the barrels and in the nearby ditch. Afterwards, the firefighters had to be completely rinsed clean.
The police are investigating how the barrels ended up here and who they belong to. It is also being investigated whether damage has occurred to the environment. It is likely that part of the soil will have to be excavated.