TAKING HAZARDOUS SPILLS

The Orange County Hazardous Materials Team, 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 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 May.

Date: May 1 Location of Incident: Industry Street, Garden Grove Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Cooling tower solution Date: May 2 Location of Incident: 1773 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim Material Handler: Unknown--abandoned drums Materials Involved: Unknown Date: May 4 Location of Incident: 2981 E. Blue Star St., Anaheim Material Handler: Club Car Inc. Materials Involved: Batteries Date: May 7 Location of Incident: 11872 Diamond St., Garden Grove Material Handler: Residence Materials Involved: Unknown Date: May 8 Location of Incident: Glassell Street & Lincoln Avenue, Orange Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Diesel fuel Date: May 9 Location of Incident: Valle Road at southbound Interstate 5, San Juan Capistrano Material Handler: Unknown-illegal disposal Materials Involved: Waste thinner Date: May 11 Location of Incident: Crown Valley Parkway & Forbes Road, Laguna Hills Material Handler: Dal Chem Inc. Materials Involved: Phosphonate molybdate, sodium lignosulfonate Date: May 15 Location of Incident: 2202 E. 17th St. Santa Ana Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste thinner Date: May 15 Location of Incident: 10142 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Ethylene glycol Date: May 15 Location of Incident: 3137 E. Juniper Ave., Orange Material Handler: Residence Materials Involved: Diesel Date: May 17 Location of Incident: 12791 Western Ave., Garden Grove Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Carburetor cleaner Date: May 17 Location of Incident: 15051 Columbia Lane, Huntington Beach Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Paint stripper Date: May 18 Location of Incident: Tuffree Public Park, Placentia Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Possible pesticide Date: May 19 Location of Incident: Anaheim Convention Center Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Diesel Date: May 23 Location of Incident: 15 Valley View, Irvine Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Road slurry Date: May 25 Location of Incident: 2200 S. Anne St., Santa Ana Material Handler: Vista Lighting

Materials Involved: Trichloroacetic acid, aluminum Date: May 26 Location of Incident: 550 W. Crowther Ave., Placentia Material Handler: Urethane Plastics Inc. Materials Involved: Urethane Date: May 27 Location of Incident: 1610 W. Edinger Ave., Santa Ana Material Handler: Medical clinic Materials Involved: Unclipped syringes Date: May 28 Location of Incident: Bastanchury Road & Imperial Highway, Placentia Material Handler: Shell Oil Co. Materials Involved: Crude oil sludge Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, environmental health division