Mike Hili, Inco's safety and training supervisor said a sulphur dioxide leak at the Vale Inco's plant saw a person die, two more suffer injuries, while residents were evacuated from the area. But, luckily it was just all part of a mock disaster emergency drill.

"We do training on a regular basis, we look at the issues that could occur in the plant," he said, adding, "If you don't have drills, how will you know if there's ways to do something better until an actual emergency happens. So that's the reason we do drills, to be able to fine tune our processes to make sure it runs smoothly."

John Stouth, an ECR operator, said it was the first time he has been involved in a drill.

"We had to respond as if it was a real drill," said Stouth during the drill Sunday. "We have got to do emergency drill to be ready."

The different agencies that responded to the site were Niagara EMS, Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services, Niagara regional police and Niagara Region's Chemical Biological Radioactive Nuclear (CBRN) team.

"Everybody got an opportunity to test their systems, the EMS system, the NRP, and the Port Colborne fire department, everybody gets to see what their role is in a emergency like that," Hili said.

Hili explained the scenario involved a truck crashing into a sulphur dioxide tank inside the plant, which caused a leak to occur. As the leak was detected, internal and external alarms went off and employees were moved inside safe rooms in various buildings throughout the plant while two members of Inco's response team headed towards the leak in the tank. They then found the driver of the truck, a dummy, unconscious. The team then pulled the driver away from the truck, and the men then tried to stop the leak. The leak, made by a fog machine, was then covered by a tarp. One of the two responders got sick. Then backup came out and brought the men to the fire department to get assistance. The injured employee was then decontaminated, and brought to a ambulance. Then an emergency response centre was put in place, just in case evacuation of the area was needed.

Hili said it was a perfect opportunity to work together with various agencies in the area.

"It was a good test of the systems and a very good exercise, because you can see the abilities different agencies have throughout the area."

Tom Cartwright, Port Colborne's fire chief, said the exercise went well.

"We tested our resources and those of other agencies involved," he said. "We did identify some minor things that needed to be cleaned up a bit, but overall it went well."

Hili also acknowledged that everybody has some improvements that they can work on, but that isn't a bad thing.

"You are bringing something to light, if you didn't have the drill you would've never known this. How can you fix something, if you don't know something is wrong?"

Hili noted that very few people inside the plant knew the mock disaster was taking place, because the company wanted everyone to respond as if it were a real emergency.