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 (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 July.

Date: July 5 Location of Incident: 72 Fairbanks, Irvine Material Handler: ABB Composites Materials Involved: Resin waste, phthalic anhydride Date: July 10 Location of Incident: 7611 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach Material Handler: Citizen Materials Involved: Drug lab chemicals Date: July 10 Location of Incident: 272 S. Grand Ave., Orange Material Handler: Citizen Materials Involved: Malathion Date: July 12 Location of Incident: 23121 Orange Ave., El Toro Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Gasoline Date: July 12 Location of Incident: 1834 E. Ball Road, Anaheim Material Handler: Custom Coating Materials Involved: Sulfuric acid Date: July 13 Location of Incident: Santa Ana Riverbed at Ball Road, Anaheim Material Handler: Ecology Control Materials Involved: Unknown clear liquid Date: July 13 Location of Incident: 989 N. Batavia St., Orange Material Handler: PGM Metal Finishing Materials Involved: Phosphoric acid Date: July 13 Location of Incident: 1218 E. Pomona St., Santa Ana Material Handler: Europa Wheels Materials Involved: Nitrous oxide Date: July 15 Location of Incident: 23271 Verdugo Ave., Laguna Hills Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Anhydrous ammonia Date: July 16 Location of Incident: 11771 Clover Lane, Garden Grove Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: 7Stucco cement Date: July 17 Location of Incident: Alton Parkway & Von Karman Avenue, Irvine (Pacific Bell) Material Handler: Guarantee Pest Control Materials Involved: Diazanon Date: July 18 Location of Incident: Beach Boulevard north of Rosecrans Avenue, Buena Park Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Dursban Date: July 21 Location of Incident: 16800 Aspen St., Irvine Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Printer’s ink Date: July 22 Location of Incident: 8772 Rocky Court, Garden Grove Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Drug lab chemicals Date: July 27 Location of Incident: Irvine Boulevard & Lambert Road, Irvine Material Handler: Unknown--illegal disposal Materials Involved: Unknown Date: July 28 Location of Incident: 378 Victoria St., Costa Mesa Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Pool chemicals Date: July 30 Location of Incident: Anaheim Convention Center Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Gasoline Date: July 31 Location of Incident: 200 El Camino Real, Tustin Material Handler: Pacific Meat Co. Materials Involved: Asbestos

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, environmental health division

HAZARDOUS SPILLS REPORTED BY CITY/COMMUNITY

September 1988--July 1989

City Spills Huntington Beach 29 Anaheim 28 Orange 23 Garden Grove 22 Irvine 21 Santa Ana 17 Brea 12 Placentia 12 Costa Mesa 10 Newport Beach 8 Yorba Linda 5 Laguna Hills 5 El Toro 5 Westminster 5 Tustin 5 Dana Point 5 Los Alamitos 4 Fullerton 4 La Habra 4 Stanton 3 Rural canyons 3 Mission Viejo 3 Buena Park 3 San Juan Capistrano 2 Fountain Valley 2 Cypress 1 Seal Beach 1 Laguna Beach 1 County beaches 1 Midway City 1 Sunset Beach 1

HAZARDOUS SPILLS REPORTED BY MONTH

May 1989: 29