TAKING HAZARDOUS SPILLS

The Orange County Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT), administered by the county Health Care Agency division of environmental health, responds to calls on chemical spills and other incidents involving hazardous materials. Sometimes it goes to the site, other times it advises citizens or local fire departments over the phone.

Of 17 local fire departments in Orange County (16 city departments plus the county), three have hazardous materials units that cover the entire county through mutual aid agreements--Anaheim, Huntington Beach and the county station in Irvine. HAZMAT is called in most, but not all, incidents. Following is HAZMAT’s spill response log for September. Date Sept. 1 Location of Incident 12540 Valley View St., Garden Grove Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Oxidizing acid in street Date Sept. 1 Location of Incident 1933 Meyer Place, Costa Mesa Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Gasoline in gutter Date Sept. 4 Location of Incident 2125 E. Orangewood Ave., Orange Material Handler Pinata Foods Materials Involved Ammonia Date Sept. 4 Location of Incident 711 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana Material Handler Kuida Farm Supply Materials Involved Pesticides Date Sept. 7 Location of Incident Beach Boulevard & Chapman Avenue, Stanton Material Handler Unocal station Materials Involved Gasoline Date Sept. 8 Location of Incident Stater Bros. Market, 707 West 19th St., Costa Mesa Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Tear gas grenade (vandalism) Date Sept. 11 Location of Incident Flood control channel, 7100 Melrose St., Buena Park Material Handler 7-Up Bottling Co. Materials Involved Unknown Date Sept. 13 Location of Incident Campus Drive & Airport Way, Irvine Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Oil Date Sept. 13 Location of Incident Doheny State Park, Dana Point Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Unknown Date Sept. 13 Location of Incident Anaheim (residence) Material Handler Citizen Materials Involved Hydrochloric acid and detergent Date Sept. 14 Location of Incident Beach Boulevard & Edison Avenue, Huntington Beach Material Handler Unknown (illegal dump) Materials Involved Unknown Date Sept. 14 Location of Incident 1801 W. Penhall Way, Anaheim Material Handler Penhall Marine Inc. Materials Involved Diesel fuel Date Sept. 18 Location of Incident Fullerton (residence) Material Handler Citizen Materials Involved Asbestos Date Sept. 19 Location of Incident Beach Boulevard & Lambert Road, La Habra Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Gasoline Date Sept. 22 Location of Incident 1655 S. Claudina St., Anaheim Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Paint thinner Date Sept. 24 Location of Incident Ball Road & West Street, Anaheim Material Handler ARCO station Materials Involved Gasoline Date Sept. 24 Location of Incident 12570 Knott Ave., Garden Grove Material Handler Air Industries Corp. Materials Involved Metal sludge; chlorinated cutting oil Date Sept. 25 Location of Incident 1300 E. Wilshire Ave., Santa Ana Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Carburetor cleaner Date Sept. 26 Location of Incident One mile east of Jeffrey Road, Irvine Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Diesel fuel Date Sept. 26 Location of Incident 2626 E. Santa Fe Ave., Fullerton Material Handler Pacific Mixing Technologies Materials Involved Dry pool chlorine Date Sept. 26 Location of Incident 3200 E. Enterprise St., Brea Material Handler Weber Aircraft Materials Involved Nickel sulfamate solution Date Sept. 26 Location of Incident 1618 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Placentia Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved PCBs Date Sept. 27 Location of Incident Pacific Coast Highway & Ninth Street, Sunset Beach Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Unknown Date Sept. 27 Location of Incident Katella Avenue & Sacramento Street, Orange Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Nitric Acid Date Sept. 28 Location of Incident 1401 Bryan Ave., Tustin Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Trichloroacetic acid Date Sept. 28 Location of Incident 890 West 15th St. Material Handler Unknown Materials Involved Unknown Date Sept. 30 Location of Incident 15622 Chemical Lane, Huntington Beach Material Handler California Vehicle Design Materials Involved Trichloroacetic acid Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, environmental health division