La Habra : Private Firm to Handle Hazardous Spills in City

Despite a recent ammonia leak requiring assistance from Anaheim’s hazardous-materials response team, the city is going ahead with plans to contract for similar services with a private company.

The Anaheim Fire Department unit will remain available but at a cost estimated by La Habra Fire Chief Benjamin Wilkins at $6,240 per hour.

The change is being made in response to a fee requirement by hazardous-waste response units from Anaheim, Santa Ana and the combined Huntington Beach-Newport Beach fire departments. Since Oct. 1 these agencies, which previously provided free services, have required a fee. The cost to La Habra would be nearly $70,000 annually, according to a report submitted by Wilkins to the City Council.

The council recently authorized an agreement with Disposal Control Services Inc. of Upland, a private firm specializing in hazardous materials. The company will respond at a cost of $585 per hour. According to La Habra City Manager Lee Risner, the response time of the private contractor will be about the same as that for the Anaheim unit.

The council also authorized more training for fire department personnel to upgrade their abilities to determine when outside assistance is needed.

On Sept. 24, just one week before expiration of the agreement providing free services, an ammonia leak at a grocery warehouse near the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Imperial Highway resulted in the evacuation of neighboring businesses. The Anaheim team was called.

According to Risner, this is the seventh time in two years that La Habra Fire Department has called for outside aid to deal with such a situation.

Unlike the ammonia leak, most problems do not require an immediate decision, Risner said, so he anticipates that the private company will handle nearly all incidents.

The city manager and Fire Department officials emphasized that the first concern is for the safety of citizens and indicated that financial considerations will not be directly involved regarding use of the costlier services by the hazardous response units from the surrounding cities.

“Our goal is to have a well-trained professional on the scene to make the best possible decision,” Risner said.