Simi Valley : Discovery of Wastes Forces Evacuation

Ventura County firefighters evacuated a Simi Valley business and closed off a two-block area Friday after a number of opened barrels of hazardous solvents and paints were discovered in an alley behind a closed auto shop.

Two employees of the city’s Department of Public Works discovered the 55-gallon barrels about 11 a.m. while conducting a routine check of the building in the 400 block of Easy Street, said Ventura County Fire Chief Norman Plott. Of the 13 barrels found, only two had lids, and one of those appeared to be bulging under pressure, Plott said.

Firefighters evacuated six employees of a nearby business and closed off surrounding streets while hazardous materials specialists conducted tests to determine the contents of the barrels.

The former owner of the shop, which city officials said has been closed for about a year, was located by authorities and ordered to remove the barrels from the site within 90 days.

In the meantime, the owner will be responsible for safely securing and storing the barrels, said Greg Smith, an official with the county Department of Environmental Health, which regulates companies in the county that generate hazardous materials.