Preventing Chemical Disasters

The recent chemical fire in Anaheim was not the tragedy that it might have been. It may, in fact, turn out to be one of those warnings that prevent real disasters if it results in a greater spirit of cooperation among industry and government in the safer handling of toxic chemicals.

That possibility is growing--especially on the county level, where the Orange County Board of Supervisors is considering at least two proposals that deserve board and community support.

One is the creation of a special unit in the district attorney’s office that would be responsible for prosecuting environmental crimes.

With the number of emergency incidents involving hazardous waste increasing dramatically each year, Orange County must follow the lead of Los Angeles and set up a special unit to pay stricter attention to environmental crimes.

It’s also time for the county and all its cities to begin requiring business firms to report the chemicals that they handle and store. The county backed away from doing that once before, when companies handling chemicals protested, but the Anaheim fire should have finally persuaded all Orange county officials that public health and safety should take precedence.

Last Tuesday the county board ordered a staff report on the advisability and feasibility of adopting a mandatory chemical-disclosure law that could also serve as a model ordinance for the county’s 26 cities.

This is the approach that the county and cities should pursue. Chemicals are not concentrated in any one area. Nor are their toxic fumes contained by city lines in emergencies. The disclosure ordinances shouldn’t be, either.