Good News on Toxic Materials

It took a major chemical fire in Anaheim last June to show public officials and industry how much a hazardous-materials disclosure ordinance was needed in Orange County, but now both seem to be on the right track.

The Anaheim fire burned several days before firefighters were able to identify the numerous pesticides and chemical fertilizers, whose toxic fumes spread to three cities and forced the evacuation of about 7,500 people. Before that fire, Irvine was the only city in the county to require companies to tell the city what kind of chemicals were being stored or used within city limits, where they were located, how much was on hand and what health risks they posed.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors backed away from passing such an ordinance in 1983. But the fire, which was termed the county’s “worst environmental emergency,” has changed things drastically.

Last Tuesday the county board unanimously approved a disclosure measure. And instead of opposing the law as it consistently had done in the past, private industry not only supported the measure but took an active part in drafting it.

Some of the provisions of the new ordinance require companies to report their inventories twice a year and update their reports whenever they receive large amounts of chemicals. The ordinance contains a compromise on the controversial issue of keeping the lists from the public to protect “trade secrets.” Companies can designate information as a trade secret, but the information will be released if requested by anyone unless the company can secure a court order to keep the data secret.

Although the new ordinance covers only companies doing business in the unincorporated county area, it must be considered a major piece of local legislation. It was drafted with the help of the Fire Chiefs Assn. of Orange County and the county Chamber of Commerce and is designed as a model ordinance for all the cities in the county to adopt, either as is or as a guide for similar laws.

It is important now that all jurisdictions in the county without such a disclosure law waste no time in adopting one. Public agencies must also be sure that their data-processing systems have the capability to adequately store and immediately produce the information on hazardous-waste material industry will be required to provide.

The public, firefighters and other emergency personnel must never be put in jeopardy because they don’t know what toxic chemicals are in their midst.