HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH

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 December. Date: Dec. 2 Location of Incident: Bastanchury Road and Plumosa Drive, Yorba Linda Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown petroleum product Date: Dec. 2 Location of Incident: Alma Aldea and Santa Margarita Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Dimethylsulfoxide Date: Dec. 4 Location of Incident: Porter Lane and Porter Ranch Road, Rancho Santa Margarita Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste oil (possible) Date: Dec. 5 Location of Incident: Imperial Highway and Walnut Avenue, Brea Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Diesel fuel Date: Dec. 6 Location of Incident: Eastpark Drive and Savi Ranch Parkway, Yorba Linda Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste oil Date: Dec. 7 Location of Incident: 1900 W. Katella Ave., Orange Material Handler: City of Orange Materials Involved: Gasoline (car accident) Date: Dec. 7 Location of Incident: Lake Forest Drive and Santa Ana Freeway, El Toro Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown (in drums) Date: Dec. 8 Location of Incident: 4771 Campus Drive, Irvine Material Handler: University High School Materials Involved: Unknown pesticide Date: Dec. 8 Location of Incident: 14032 Rancho Road, Westminster Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Soap Date: Dec. 8 Location of Incident: 17852 Serrano Ave., Villa Park Material Handler: Cerro Villa School Materials Involved: Mercury Date: Dec. 9 Location of Incident: 2503 MacArthur Blvd., Santa Ana Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Diesel fuel Date: Dec. 9 Location of Incident: Eastpark Drive and Savi Ranch Parkway, Yorba Linda Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste oil Date: Dec. 11 Location of Incident: 11591 Anabel Ave., Garden Grove Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Dec. 13 Location of Incident: 10932 Chestnut Ave., Stanton Material Handler: Martinic Engineering Materials Involved: Magnesium Date: Dec. 14 Location of Incident: 4th and Mortimer streets, Santa Ana Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste oil Date: Dec. 16 Location of Incident: 1330 Debwood Place, La Habra Material Handler: Previous owner Materials Involved: Nitric acid Date: Dec. 16 Location of Incident: 290 Edinger Ave., Sunset Beach Material Handler: Boat owner Materials Involved: Gasoline Date: Dec. 16 Location of Incident: 18682 Mesa Drive, Villa Park Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Insecticides and fertilizer Date: Dec. 18 Location of Incident: 735 W. Provential Drive, Anaheim Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Various chemicals Date: Dec. 19 Location of Incident: 421 N. Commercial St., Anaheim Material Handler: Anaheim Citrus Products Materials Involved: Caustic soda Date: Dec. 20 Location of Incident: 5445 Estate Ridge Road, Anaheim Material Handler: Diversified Landscaping Materials Involved: Fuel Date: Dec. 23 Location of Incident: 1225 Knollwood Circle, Anaheim Material Handler: Century Laminators Inc. Materials Involved: Sodium hydroxide Date: Dec. 23 Location of Incident: 1127 W. Primrose Drive, Orange Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Fuel and carburetor cleaner Date: Dec. 24 Location of Incident: 1440 N. Kraemer Blvd., Anaheim Material Handler: Narmco Materials Involved: Trichloroacetic acid Date: Dec. 26 Location of Incident: 724 N. Brea Blvd., Brea Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste oil Date: Dec. 26 Location of Incident: 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown black substance HAZARDOUS SPILLS BY CITY/COMMUNITY

City Spills Anaheim 37 Orange 26 Santa Ana 26 Huntington Beach 23 Irvine 22 Garden Grove 21 Brea 12 La Habra 11 Placentia 11 El Toro 8 Yorba Linda 8 Costa Mesa 7 Fullerton 7 Laguna Hills 6 Westminster 5 Dana Point 4 Los Alamitos 4 Newport Beach 4 Fountain Valley 3 Stanton 3 Tustin 3 Buena Park 2 Laguna Beach 2 Mission Viejo 2 San Juan Capistrano 2 Villa Park 2 Cypress 1 Pacific Ocean 1 San Clemente 1 Seal Beach 1 Sunset Beach 1 Other unincorporated areas 10 COUNTY TOTAL 276

Note: There were no spills in the cities of La Palma and Laguna Niguel.

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, environmental health division