North County : Toxic Spill Slows 8 Miles of Traffic on Highway

Cleanup of a toxic spill along busy Imperial Highway on Wednesday caused massive traffic problems but no injuries, authorities said.

The spill involved about 200 gallons of a caustic soda chemical from a tanker truck, said Kathleen Cha, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Department.

She said the chemical, which contained sodium hydroxide, could injure skin.

The substance leaked from the tanker truck on Tuesday afternoon, but was not discovered until Wednesday, Cha said. According to a County Fire Department dispatcher, the spill extended about 8 miles along Imperial Highway, between Valley View Street and Orangethorpe Avenue.

Cha said a filtration company which had ordered the chemical will pay the costs of the cleanup. She said that a private firm that specializes in such work was hired to remove the chemical from the roadway and dispose of it.

No evacuations were necessary in the area, fire officials said, but one lane of Imperial Highway had to be closed during most of the cleanup. Cha said that it is possible that some motorists drove through the chemical Tuesday night or Wednesday morning before it was discovered by fire officials and the cleanup work could begin.

Cha said anyone who suspects he or she drove through the chemical should hose down their vehicles with “lots of water and be careful to wear gloves.”