EL SEGUNDO : AlliedSignal Is Cited for Chemical Leak

AlliedSignal Inc. was cited by air quality officials for a hydrofluoric acid leak June 15 that forced the closure of two streets and the evacuation of a golf course and a construction site.

The company violated two South Coast Air Quality Management District rules by creating a public nuisance and failing to operate its equipment according to its permit, said AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood.

Nobody was injured by the leak, fire officials said.

Company officials said about 85 pounds of the chemical leaked from faulty lining connecting two pipes in the plant on Sepulveda Boulevard, where hydrochlorofluorocarbons are manufactured.

The company could be fined, and AQMD officials will decide in several weeks whether to refer the case to the district attorney’s office for criminal prosecution.