GARDEN GROVE : Chemical Spill Snarls Traffic For Hours
Four firefighters suffered dizziness and nausea from fumes when 200 gallons of toxic chemicals spilled into a storm drain on Western Avenue, fire officials said Friday.
Methyl methacrylate, a flammable liquid used in manufacturing plastics and acrylics that causes respiratory irritation, overflowed from a tank about 11:45 a.m. at Pilkington Aerospace Inc. in the 12100 block of Western Avenue, Capt. Bill Dumas said.
“The product was being transferred from a metal tank to another container, and, somehow, there was a problem with the valve,” he said.
About 1,500 gallons of the liquid were spilled, but company employees were able to contain about 1,300 gallons using a dry powder made especially to soak up the liquid chemical.
Traffic was snarled for hours as parts of Western and Chapman avenues were shut down while the substance was removed from the drainage system, Dumas said. The spill was contained using sandbags dropped into a manhole, then the liquid was pumped out, he said.
Four firefighters who were among the first to arrive experienced respiratory problems, including dizziness and nausea. They were treated at the AMI Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center, Dumas said.
No other injuries were reported and the spill was cleaned up within five hours, Dumas said.
To avoid exposure, students from Wakeham Elementary School and workers from nearby companies were forced to stay inside, Dumas said.
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