Video: Gas leak makes for tense morning in Sudbury

Many Sudbury residents were awoken this morning around 6 a.m. by the sound of an emergency siren after routine maintenance resulted in a gas leak this morning at Vale’s Copper Cliff smelter.

Workers were performing regular maintenance in the acid plant when a mixture of nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide leaked, releasing a plume of dirty yellow gas over the community.

The all-clear was given at around 8:30 a.m., but there were some tense moments for residents as they tried to find information on what was happening and what potential risks were posed by exposure to the gas.

Many residents were stuck on the roads as police shut down traffic travelling in and out of Copper Cliff.