AQMD to Press Charges Against Chemical Plant

The City of Commerce chemical plant where a chlorine leak forced the evacuation of up to 28,000 Eastside residents over the weekend will be cited by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, officials said Tuesday.

AQMD officials--who were called in early Saturday when the first hazardous spill occurred--said the Grow Group Inc. plant will be cited for creating a public nuisance by releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and for failure to have its air pollution control permits posted in the workplace. The plant makes chlorine pellets used to purify swimming pools.

If the district finds the company guilty, it could face fines of up to $25,000 per count.

‘A Terrible Situation’

“We are citing them because it created a terrible situation where we had to evacuate thousands of people in the middle of the night,” AQMD spokesman Bill Kelly said. “From looking at their operation out there, we believe they could have been doing a better job of handling the materials and preventing such a release. They had this highly reactive material in cardboard drums, and it should have been in metal drums.

“We are continuing our investigation for possible other violations.”

Kelly said the charges may be filed today.

Officials at the county Fire and Health Services departments would not publicly comment when asked by reporters if they would cite Grow Group.

The company was cited by the Health Services Department for mishandling hazardous wastes after a similar chemical spill occurred at the Commerce plant Aug. 10.

News of the citations came as county and Montebello officials voiced concern that the weekend’s spills occurred so quickly after the August spill.

“How could this have happened again?” Montebello Mayor Arnold Glasman asked reporters before appearing at a meeting of the county Board of Supervisors.

After hearing from Glasman, the supervisors voted to identify all firms in the county that manufacture, store or process hazardous chemicals and ask county inspectors to ensure that all such firms are following county regulations.

“I can tell you there is a good deal of concern over the possible repetition of this kind of incident,” said Supervisor Ed Edelman, whose 3rd District includes the Eastside communities affected by the evacuations. “I think we have to ask: Are we too lax in the enforcement of the laws?”

County fire and health officials said in interviews Tuesday that the Grow Group plant has been under official scrutiny since the Aug. 10 spill.

On that day, county Fire Capt. Garry Oversby said, fire units went to the plant when a chemical reaction occurred in three 55-gallon drums of sodium hypochlorite, a concentrate used to chlorinate swimming pools.

At that time, an evacuation plan was readied by county officials but not carried out. The spill was controlled without release of chlorine, Oversby said.

Afterward, county fire officials discovered that the company had not been listed as a handler of hazardous materials as required by state law. When so listed, companies must file safety procedures with county health and fire authorities.

Assistant Fire Chief Paul Blackburn said the company was asked to comply by preparing evacuation plans along with listing company procedures for handling hazardous materials and to describe a training program for employees.

Ironically, officials said, the company’s deadline for submitting the plan is Thursday--the same day Grow Group officials must meet with authorities to go over the incidents of last weekend.

County officials defended themselves against charges by Glasman that they were deficient in preventing the spill.

County Health Director Robert Gates said 42 inspectors are involved in monitoring industrial hazardous materials, but with thousands of producers of such materials in the county and hundreds of citations issued monthly, the department is too understaffed to make enough follow-up visits.

Anastacio Medina, chief of the county’s hazardous waste control program, told supervisors that inspectors respond to about 300 complaints a month, including about 75 emergency responses. They also issue 1,500 to 2,000 citations a year, he added.

Edelman said he intends to propose the hiring of 10 extra inspectors next week.

Chemicals Called Finicky

The substance that caused the Aug. 10 reaction is similar in properties to the substance involved in last weekend’s incidents. The chemicals are very finicky, fire officials said. If they react with water or any organic material (even soda pop or gasoline), they will generate heat and subsequently release sulfur dioxide. While the gas is usually not fatal, it can be extremely irritating to the respiratory system.

At the plant, the chlorine pellets are made by a stamping process using chemical powders that consist of the highly reactive trichloroisocyanurate acid. The residue was routinely swept up and placed in cardboard drums. However, county fire officials said these cardboard drums are susceptible to moisture, which can cause such accidents.

After the Aug. 10 incident, county fire officials cited the company for mishandling the hazardous waste and ordered that the chemicals be placed in metal drums, county officials said. There were 430 cardboard drums at the plant Aug. 17. During the weekend incident, all but 150 of the drums burned up.

Meanwhile, Grow Group officials at the Commerce plant were in meetings throughout the day and did not respond to repeated telephone requests for interviews. A spokesman said they were preparing for a meeting Thursday with authorities to discuss the incidents.

The company issued a three-paragraph statement late Tuesday saying it was cooperating with state and local authorities.

In another development involving Grow Group, a takeover bid for the company was scrapped Tuesday by PPG Industries, which said it was dropping plans to acquire the New York manufacturer of paint and chemical coatings for $300 million, but gave no reason for the surprise decision. The announcement sent the stock of Grow Group tumbling on Wall Street.

Times staff writer Victor Merina also contributed to this story.