Evacuation order in Grand Desert, N.S. lifted after chemicals removed

Firefighters attend the scene where a large quantity of unidentified chemicals were found in a residence in Grand Desert, N.S. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Police have wrapped up their investigation of a chemical stash found in a cottage near Halifax, and evacuated residents will be allowed to return to their homes.

RCMP cleared the scene on Dyke Road, in Grand Desert, N.S., on Saturday, where investigators -- including a HAZMAT team -- were testing and removing hazardous materials.

Police have linked the home to Cole Harbour, N.S. resident Christopher Burton Phillips, charged by Nova Scotia RCMP earlier this week for uttering threats and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Phillips, a former eye doctor, was arrested on Wednesday after a standoff at an Ottawa hotel triggered an evacuation. A Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest after a "large quantity" of chemicals was found inside two homes in Cole Harbour and Grand Desert.

The 42-year-old Phillips appeared in Nova Scotia court Friday, and is scheduled to make his next appearance on Jan. 29.

The discovery of hazardous materials at the two homes prompted evacuations earlier this week. Both evacuation orders have now been lifted.

Police say Phillips was storing unlabelled chemicals stacked "from floor to ceiling," which posed a fire risk at the Grand Desert cottage.

Chemists, fire crews, and other experts were on scene until late Saturday afternoon. Investigators were combing over evidence and crews were seen placing materials in 40-gallon drums.

"Within the cottage is a variety of containers filled with chemicals stacked from floor to ceiling," Chief Supt. Roland Wells told reporters Friday afternoon. "Many of these chemicals are unstable, so we must use extreme caution and care to safely examine this extremely complex situation."

According to Wells, some of the chemicals appear to be degrading, which could indicate that they have been there for some time.

Police also confirmed that an unspecified amount of osmium tetroxide, a highly volatile chemical compound, has been recovered.

"All of that chemical has been safely and hermetically sealed," Wells said on Friday.

However, police have yet to release further information about hazardous materials found at the site.

The discovery of osmium tetroxide triggered the evacuation in Cole Harbour on Tuesday. Police allege Phillips is linked to both sites.

American court documents obtained by the Canadian Press say Phillips was an ophthalmologist in U.S. prior to moving to Nova Scotia, where his wife, Gosia, lives and works.

The court documents also revealed a 2008 report from a Texas psychiatric hospital that says Phillips was diagnosed that year with a mood disorder, a painkiller addiction, an alcohol problem and narcissistic tendencies.

Phillips was once married to Shannon Miller, a gold medal gymnast with the U.S. Olympic team. They divorced in 2006.

He also served in the U.S. Navy, and was granted medical discharge after suffering a "traumatic injury" to his feet.

With files from the Canadian Press