Local News in Brief : Chemical Company Cited
An Azusa chemical company has been cited by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for a toxic gas leak on May 18 that forced the evacuation of 1,000 people near the plant.
The AQMD accused the Jay Chemical Co. of creating a public nuisance and is expected to decide soon if the company will be fined or taken to court, district spokeswoman Jacqueline Switzer said Wednesday. The company faces up to $25,000 in fines.
A gas cloud spread over the area after workers overheated a 55-gallon drum of epoxy resin, fire officials said. The company was also cited for operating a 500-gallon mixer without a permit, Switzer said.
John Rykowski, who owns Jay Chemical, has said the company was not at fault in the incident. He said defective resin caused the cloud that drove residents and workers from a 15-block area surrounding the plant.
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