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 the 17 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 March.

Date: Mar. 2 Location of Incident: 8172 Somers Drive, unincorporated area near Stanton Material Handler: Resident Materials Involved: Unknown substance in metal container Date: Mar. 2 Location of Incident: 1110 W. Maple Ave., Orange Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Mar. 3 Location of Incident: 5555 McFadden Ave., Huntington Beach Material Handler: Weiser Lock Company Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Mar. 3 Location of Incident: 1500 Nisson Road, Tustin Material Handler: CalTrans Materials Involved: Five drums holding cut-up fertilizer and pesticide containers Date: Mar. 4 Location of Incident: 2136 S. Hathaway St., Santa Ana Material Handler: Embee Plating Materials Involved: Dye penetrant Date: Mar. 5 Location of Incident: 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa Material Handler: Los Angeles Times Materials Involved: Nalco; corrosion inhibitor Date: Mar. 5 Location of Incident: John Wayne Airport Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Illegal disposal of needles in a dumpster Date: Mar. 5 Location of Incident: 2062 Business Center Drive, Irvine Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Ammonia Date: Mar. 7 Location of Incident: 2981 La Jolla St., Anaheim Material Handler: Conway Western Express Materials Involved: Mercaptan Date: Mar. 7 Location of Incident: 4162 Trabuco Road, Irvine Material Handler: Irvine Shell Materials Involved: Diesel Date: Mar. 9 Location of Incident: 1221 W. Struck Ave., Orange Material Handler: Frenchy’s Iron Works Materials Involved: Oil and water mixture Date: Mar. 10 Location of Incident: 28452 Munera, Mission Viejo Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Mar. 12 Location of Incident: 3340 W. Ball Road, Anaheim Material Handler: Physician at medical office Materials Involved: Ether Date: Mar. 12 Location of Incident: 2782 El Camino Real, Tustin Material Handler: The Home Club Materials Involved: Insecticides Date: Mar. 13 Location of Incident: 3131 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos Material Handler: General Telephone Materials Involved: Methyl ethyl ketone; xylene; hexane. Date: Mar. 15 Location of Incident: 5301 Bolsa Ave., Huntington Beach Material Handler: McDonnell Douglas Materials Involved: Sodium hydroxide; sodium carbonate. Date: Mar. 15 Location of Incident: Gum Grove Park, Seal Beach Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Mar. 19 Location of Incident: 3333 Coast Highway, Newport Beach Material Handler: Arches Marina Materials Involved: Waste oil Date: Mar. 20 Location of Incident: 1189 Grove St., Anaheim Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown (illegal disposal) Date: Mar. 20 Location of Incident: 7 Los Pioneros, Rancho Santa Margarita Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Mar. 22 Location of Incident: 23336 Caminito Los Pocitos, Laguna Hills Material Handler: Resident Materials Involved: Sodium Date: Mar. 22 Location of Incident: Rancho Santa Margarita Water District, San Juan Capistrano Material Handler: Same Materials Involved: Diesel Date: Mar. 22 Location of Incident: San Gabriel River Freeway at Katella Avenue, Los Alamitos Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Infectious waste Date: Mar. 22 Location of Incident: 2207 S. Lyon St., Santa Ana Material Handler: Continental Insulation Inc. Materials Involved: Polyvinyl acetate Date: Mar. 24 Location of Incident: Santa Fe Railroad property near 1106 E. Walnut Ave., Santa Ana Material Handler: Under investigation Materials Involved: Resin waste Date: Mar. 25 Location of Incident: 1202 E. 1st St., Santa Ana Material Handler: Len’s Import Car Service Materials Involved: Radiator test water Date: Mar. 27 Location of Incident: 6835 Katella Ave., Cypress Material Handler: Target department store Materials Involved: One-quart bottle of malathion Date: Mar. 27 Location of Incident: Arrow Vista Park, 400 W. Elm St., Brea Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown Date: Mar. 27 Location of Incident: La Paz and Aliso Creek roads, Laguna Niguel Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Chlorine and soda ash Date: Mar. 28 Location of Incident: San Diego Creek, Irvine Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Unknown foaming in creek Date: Mar. 29 Location of Incident: 1016 and 1050 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim Material Handler: Unknown Materials Involved: Needles Date: Mar. 31 Location of Incident: 18262 Gothard St., Huntington Beach Material Handler: Fair Auto Materials Involved: Carburetor cleaner Source: Orange County Health Care Agency, environmental health division

HAZARDOUS SPILLS REPORTED BY CITY/COMMUNITY

April, 1989--March, 1990

City Spills Anaheim 42 Santa Ana 30 Orange 29 Irvine 21 Huntington Beach 18 Garden Grove 14 Other unincorporated areas 13 Brea 11 La Habra 9 Costa Mesa 8 Yorba Linda 8 El Toro 7 Laguna Hills 7 Placentia 6 Fullerton 6 Los Alamitos 6 Tustin 5 Newport Beach 5 Westminster 4 San Juan Capistrano 3 Dana Point 3 Villa Park 2 Buena Park 2 Mission Viejo 2 Stanton 2 Laguna Beach 2 In the ocean 2 Fountain Valley 2 San Clemente 1 Cypress 1 Laguna Niguel 1 Seal Beach 1 Sunset Beach 1