Hazardous Materials on Oser Avenue Stabilized

Suffolk County police report that a 55-gallon drum of that had authorities close down Oser Avenue in Hauppauge for hours Tuesday has been stabilized. 

Police said the stabilizing chemicals were received at approximately 7 p.m. Tuesday, then was mixed in with the hazardous material at Pall Corp. Oser Avenue was reopened to vehicle traffic later that evening. 

The 55-gallon drum of chemical material was stored overnight inside Pall Corp's building overnight until it could be removed by Miller Environmental on Wednesday, according to police. 

There was no leak in the 55-gallon drum at Pall Corp, but the materials had chemically changed due to undergoing temperature fluctuations while shipping. The potentially explosive situation was first noticed by a company employee. 

"An unopened 55-gallon drum was observed to be bulging," company spokesman Doug Novarro said in an emailed statement. "In accordance with recommended safety standards, employees were evacuated, the local fire department was called to the scene and the provider of the material was notified. As an extra precaution, a small portion of Oser Avenue was temporarily closed off. The drum has now been stabilized and employees have returned to work."

Hauppauge Fire Department and other local units spend more than 12 hours on the scene.