Workers evacuated from West Burton power station after ‘leak’

Yesterday (Wednesday 1st February) fire crews from Retford, Misterton and Gainsborough and an Environmental Protection Unit from Stockhill to clean up a spillage of hydrazine at the power station on Gainsborough Road in West Burton.

Hydrazine is a flammable liquid with an ammonia-like odour and is also highly toxic and can be dangerously unstable unless handled in solution.

A spokesman from EDF Energy, who run the station, said that the no one was harmed or injured in the leak.

“We can confirm that the Lincolnshire Fire Service was called to its West Burton power station around 7am, after site operations identified fumes coming from a chemical bund (a form of overflow vessel) in the area of units 3 and 4 at the station,” he said.

“The station was evacuated pending further investigation of what is currently believed to be a chemical leak.”

He continued: “By 10am, the leak had stopped and the fire brigade had left site.”

“There were around 120 people evacuated into the canteens and they are now returning to work as normal.”

He added: “There were no injuries or anyone affected from the leak.”