On April 11, 2015, Sandwich Police and Sandwich Fire responded to the report of a suspicious gas canister located at the Anchor Hardware on Cotuit Road in Sandwich.
A driver for Blue Rhino was picking up used 20 lb gas cylinders, commonly used on gas grills, when he observed signs on a canister that it may contain anhydrous ammonia. Members of the Massachusetts Hazmat Team as well as the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad were called to the scene. The immediate area was evacuated. The canister was transported in the rear of a dump truck, packed in sand, to a local sand pit. Members of the bomb squad initiated a controlled demolition of the tank.
A short time later, it was reported a second canister was located at the 6A Convenience Store in East Sandwich. Members of the Sandwich Police Department, Sandwich Fire Department, State Hazmat Team, and the Bomb Squad responded to the area. Route 6A was closed for approximately 1 hour while the canister was collected and again transported to a remote sand pit to be examined. This canister was tested, and it was determined no anhydrous ammonia was present.
Units then responded to the Lawrence Pond Market on Great Hill Road in Sandwich. Two canisters were tested at that location, and determined not to contain anhydrous ammonia.
Signs that a gas cylinder may contain anhydrous ammonia can include bubbling paint on the canister itself, or a greenish blue corrosion on the valve. Anhydrous ammonia is used in the production of Crystal Meth, and can be deadly if inhaled. Members of the public are encouraged to call local authorities if they observe tanks at a Blue Rhino exchange site that exhibit these signs. None of the canisters found in Sandwich were determined to contain anhydrous ammonia.
Press Release: Press Release 4.11.2015 SPD