National City
An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water mixed with trivalent chromium, a hazardous metal, were spilled Friday morning in National City, stalling traffic for hours as crews worked to clean it up, authorities said.
An unknown amount of the mixture flowed into the San Diego Bay, posing a threat to the environment, said Vicky Gallagher, a hazardous materials management chief for the county.
The spill occurred when a worker at Western Industrial & Marine Surfaces Inc. neglected to turn off a valve at the plant’s cooling tower, Gallagher said.
As a result, water ran all night through waste on plant property, picking up the toxic metal.
The mixture overflowed into the street at Cleveland Avenue and 19th Street, forcing the closing of Cleveland Avenue between Civic Center and 18th Street and a southbound Interstate 5 off-ramp at Civic Center.
The Coast Guard and several regional agencies were investigating the spill, which “could present a problem to the marine habitat” in the bay, Gallagher said.
Dust from a dried form of the chromium can be a carcinogen, but no one was thought to be at risk, she added.
The County Department of Health Services advised those came into contact with the contaminated water to consult a physician if persistent skin irritation is experienced.
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