Toxic Agents Found Leaking in Brea Hills
Toxic chemicals were discovered leaking from two large storage tanks in a remote industrial yard in the hills above Brea late Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Department said.
Hydrochloric acid vapor was found leaking from a 4,000-gallon tank, and liquid ammonium fluoride was found puddling in the dirt around a nearby 3,200-gallon tank at the Mitchell, Taylor & Sons yard on Brea Canyon Road, fire dispatcher Joni Mattes said.
No injuries were reported. Mattes said there appeared to be no immediate health risk, particularly since there were no homes near the industrial yard in the 1200 block of Brea Canyon Road.
Fire officials at the scene reported that the leaks appeared to be “an ongoing problem” at the facility, Mattes said.
County firefighters and hazardous materials teams from the Huntington Beach and Anaheim city fire departments were emptying the tanks’ contents into secure containers late into the night.
Hydrochloric acid is a highly corrosive chemical that is considered highly toxic if inhaled or ingested. Ammonium fluoride, used for glass etching and mothproofing, is corrosive to skin tissue.
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