Anaheim : Local News in Brief : Reporting Delay Follows Spill of Toxic Chemicals

Up to 3,000 gallons of a liquid chemical mixture, including a known carcinogen, spilled into the ground at an Anaheim chemical plant Sunday night, but city fire and hazardous materials officials were not notified until Monday morning, officials said.

The spilled liquid contains benzene, a solvent that is known to cause cancer. While city officials said there is no immediate health hazard, they noted that the chemical could eventually contaminate underground water supplies if not removed.

The chemical can also become airborne, but readings Monday morning taken 40 feet away from the spill revealed no traces, Anaheim Fire Marshal Mike Doty said. No evacuations were ordered.

The spill occurred between 9 and 11 p.m. Sunday at the Neville Chemical Co., 2201 E. Cerritos Ave., through an undetected open valve, Doty said.

It was contained within the 20-acre plant, city spokeswoman Barbara Burke said.

The Fire Department was notified about 7:30 a.m. Monday, when Neville officials arrived and were told by workers about the spill, Doty said.

Neville officials have been given 48 hours to submit a cleanup plan to the city. Hazardous-materials officials estimated that the cleanup could cost the company up to $500,000. Core drillings will be taken to determine how deep the soil is contaminated.

Burke said such cleanups usually involve digging up the contaminated soil and hauling it to a hazardous-waste dump.