Explosive Chemicals Prompt Evacuation at Huntington Beach

A firefighter conducting a routine inspection of a Huntington Beach company stumbled upon 200 containers of explosive and toxic chemicals Friday, forcing the evacuation of nearby businesses.

Fire officials said Victor Kuo, the owner of Star Die Cast at 15564 Producer Lane, had no permits for the storage or use of the hazardous materials, which are believed to be used to manufacture pharmaceutical drugs.

Kuo, who was present as members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad and Huntington Beach hazardous materials team delicately went through his building, said he bought the chemicals in an auction 10 years ago “for plastics research experiments.”

The 49-year-old native of Taiwan said he did not think there was any danger, adding: “I’m in the building every day. If it’s dangerous, I would die first.”

Fire officials were not convinced.

Picric Acid Found

Among the materials were 100 pounds of picric acid, a chemical as “explosive as TNT,” said Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Barry Case. The containers, which were stored on metal shelves of a warehouse area at Star Die Cast, ranged in size from one pint to a 55-gallon drum. One of the drums that was considered to be highly dangerous was leaking at the time of the inspection, according to fire officials.

“These chemicals are not consistent with the business he is operating,” said Richard Kaump, a spokesman for the Huntington Beach Fire Department. Kaump said the case would be referred to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Talking to reporters in front of his plant Friday night, Kuo said he also owns a company called California Scientific Inc., is a real estate broker and most recently has been a manufacturer of children’s clothing. Fire officials said they noticed more than a dozen sewing machines among the chemicals.

“He definitely had a laboratory, but we don’t know how long that laboratory was set up,” said Police Sgt. Bill Van Cleve, who was at the scene Friday night. “It looked like something out of an old science-fiction movie--very dirty, very messy and chemicals all over the floor.”

Van Cleve said the building is under 24-hour security until the chemicals can be properly moved and analyzed. County health inspectors and representatives of the state Food and Drug Adminstration also were at the scene. Twelve businesses in six surrounding buildings, as well as Star Die Cast, were evacuated soon after firefighters found the chemicals at 2 p.m. Fire officials said no one would be allowed back into the area until the chemicals have been removed.

There were no reports of injuries, officials said.