Chemical alert closes beach (From Western Telegraph)

Chemical alert closes beach

A CHEMICAL alert, which closed a Pembrokeshire beach on Monday morning, proved to be an environmental 'first' for the county.

New National Assembly handling guidelines for toxic substance handling were put into practice on Tenby's Castle Beach in an operation, which was hailed a success.

Police, the fire service, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Environment Agency were alerted after a blue 25-litre drum was washed ashore on the sands.

The battered and corroded drum, marked with a skull and crossbones, was discovered shortly after 9am. Other markings indicated a potentially toxic substance, sodium arsonite, could have been inside.

Police cordoned the beach off as a precaution, and the Environment Agency co-ordinated a handling exercise.

The fire brigade hazardous substance unit and specialist contractors, D. V. Howells, of Milford Haven, attended, and the drum was made safe by being put in a sealed container. It was then taken to Cardiff for analysis.

Said Environment Agency spokesman Martin Watkins: "The container, which had obviously been in the water for quite a time, was treated as potentially toxic. There was no question of anyone taking any chances."

He added that this was the first time that National Assembly procedures for the handling of potentially toxic items had been carried out in Pembrokeshire, and all the agencies involved had worked together well.