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 June. Date: June 1 Location of Incident: 2501 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Infectious waste Date: June 5 Location of Incident: 15391 Springdale St., Huntington Beach Material Handler: McDonnell Douglas Materials Involved: Potassium ferrocyanide Date: June 6 Location of Incident: 4950 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Material Handler: Quintec Manufacturing Co. Materials Involved: Carbon monoxide (injury incident) Date: June 7 Location of Incident: Various streets, Yorba Linda Material Handler: NuBulk Chemical Carrier Materials Involved: Sodium hydroxide Date: June 8 Location of Incident: 26891 Spring St., San Juan Capistrano (elementary school) Material Handler: San Diego Gas & Electric Materials Involved: Transformer oil Date: June 12 Location of Incident: Arroyo Verde Park, Placentia Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste oil, kerosene Date: June 14 Location of Incident: McFadden Avenue & Chemical Lane, Huntington Beach Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown (illegal disposal) Date: June 16 Location of Incident: Coastal waters, Huntington Beach Material Handler: Sinking tugboat Materials Involved: Diesel fuel (submarine accident) Date: June 16 Location of Incident: 11831 Waverly Drive, Garden Grove Material Handler: Citizen Materials Involved: Latex (one pint) Date: June 18 Location of Incident: 12122 Western Ave, Garden Grove Material Handler: Swedlow Inc. Materials Involved: Propane Date: June 19 Location of Incident: Santa Ana River bed, Orange Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: June 20 Location of Incident: 18460 Gothard St., Huntington Beach Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: June 20 Location of Incident: Turtle Rock Community Park, Irvine Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: June 21 Location of Incident: Dana Hills High School, Dana Point Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown (fire caused by chemical) Date: June 22 Location of Incident: 5510 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Material Handler: Engelhard Industries West Materials Involved: Nitrous oxide Date: June 23 Location of Incident: 4000 W. Moore Ave., Santa Ana Material Handler: Unknown--illegal disposal Materials Involved: Unknown (five drums) Date: June 23 Location of Incident: 3760 Prospect Ave., Yorba Linda Material Handler: Contech Plastics Materials Involved: Neutralized muratic acid Date: June 23 Location of Incident: 3760 Prospect Ave., Yorba Linda Material Handler: Contech Plastics (second call) Materials Involved: Neutralized hydrochloric acid Date: June 23 Location of Incident: 1225 W. Imperial Highway, Brea Material Handler: Norris Industries Materials Involved: Acetone, butyl oxitol, lactic acid, ethylene glycol Date: June 23 Location of Incident: 23151-C Alcalde Drive, Laguna Hills Material Handler: 22nd Century Materials Involved: Various lab chemicals, 110 cases Date: June 24 Location of Incident: Orange County Sheriffs Substation 11100 Cedar St., Stanton Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Possible drug lab chemicals Date: June 25 Location of Incident: 33110 W. Harvard St., Santa Ana Material Handler: Fraltec Inc. Materials Involved: Sodium hydroxide Date: June 27 Location of Incident: Los Alamitos Material Handler: Armed Forces Reserve Center Materials Involved: Gasoline Date: June 29 Location of Incident: Ortega highway at Long Canyon Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Gas cylinders Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, environmental health division