Crews Clean Up Suspect Substance Found in Sylmar
A hazardous-waste cleanup crew late Tuesday began cleaning up soil contaminated by an unidentified substance that apparently was dumped down an embankment near the junction of the Golden State and San Diego freeways in Sylmar.
The California Department of Transportation and the California Highway Patrol said they are treating the incident as a toxic spill pending identification of the gummy white material, although there is no indication that the substance spotted about 9 a.m. Tuesday is dangerous.
“They don’t have any reason to think that it’s bad news, but they’re treating it as a hazardous substance until they . . . find out exactly what it is,” said C. R. Smith, a CHP officer in Newhall.
A cleanup firm called to the scene by Caltrans and at least two agencies were testing samples of the substance in an effort to identify it. The discovery closed the east side of the truck lanes to the northbound Golden State Freeway. The lanes remained closed into the evening.
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