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 January.

Date: Jan. 3 Location of Incident: 954 N. Lemon St., Orange Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Abandoned drums of water and hydrocarbon Date: Jan. 9 Location of Incident: 1848 S. Lewis St., Anaheim Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Abandoned drum of unknown liquid Date: Jan. 11 Location of Incident: 2713 W. Anahurst Place, Santa Ana Material Handler: Resident Materials Involved: Unknown pesticide Date: Jan. 12 Location of Incident: 218 Geneva Ave., Huntington Beach Material Handler: Resident Materials Involved: Solid toilet bowl cleaner Date: Jan. 16 Location of Incident: Southbound Costa Mesa Freeway, near the Garden Grove Freeway, Orange Material Handler: Sinclair Paints Materials Involved: Water-soluble paint released during accident Date: Jan. 17 Location of Incident: 16242 Construction Circle West, Irvine Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Jan. 18 Location of Incident: 1600 E. Babbitt Ave., Anaheim Material Handler: DTI Materials Involved: Sodium hydroxide Date: Jan. 24 Location of Incident: 701 S. Parker St., Suite 3300, Orange Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Sewer-generated chemical hydrogen sulfide Date: Jan. 30 Location of Incident: Caspers Regional Park, 33401 Ortega Highway Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Ether Date: Jan. 31 Location of Incident: 6541 Westminster Blvd., Westminster Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Waste oil and gasoline HAZARDOUS SPILLS REPORTED BY CITY/COMMUNITY February, 1989--January, 1990

City/Community Spills Anaheim 37 Orange 27 Santa Ana 26 Huntington Beach 24 Irvine 22 Garden Grove 19 Brea 11 La Habra 11 Other unincorporated areas 11 Placentia 10 Yorba Linda 8 Fullerton 7 El Toro 7 Costa Mesa 6 Laguna Hills 6 Westminster 5 Dana Point 4 Los Alamitos 4 Fountain Valley 3 Newport Beach 3 Tustin 2 San Juan Capistrano 2 Stanton 2 Buena Park 2 Mission Viejo 1 Cypress 1 Laguna Beach 1 Seal Beach 1 Sunset Beach 1 In the ocean 1

Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, environmental health division