220 Are Evacuated After Chemical Spill
A hazardous chemical spill at a company that refurbishes auto parts prompted authorities to evacuate about 220 people Thursday, but caused no injuries.
About 10:45 a.m., employees at M.S.P. Inc. noticed a pin-hole leak in a 350-gallon tank filled with sulfuric acid, which is used to dissolve substances such as paint and rust from metal, said Tabby Cato, spokeswoman for the city’s Fire Department.
“The employees then tried to put it in five 55-gallon drums, and they used walnut shells to try to contain the spill,†Cato said. “But the walnut shells--used to polish the tire rims--reacted with the sulfuric acid, giving off strong vapors.â€
Workers then tried adding soda ash in an attempt to neutralize the chemical, but that caused even more vaporization, Cato said.
Two hazardous materials teams from Anaheim and Santa Ana arrived at the 1100 block of Fountain Way to find several spills on the floor and another in the back alley of the company, Cato said. Authorities evacuated all workers from M.S.P. and two nearby business until about 5 p.m. while they neutralized the sulfuric acid, which can cause skin irritations and burn the lungs, Cato said.
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