A toxic chemical leak at a California pomegranate plant sent over 100 workers fleeing from the area and 11 people to the hospital.
At least 150 people were evacuated following a leak at the POM Wonderful Factory in Del Rey at around 4:15 p.m. Sunday.
“Earlier today, firefighters responded to a chemical spill in the area of Jefferson Ave and Delray Ave. The substance was identified as a cleaning solution. A total of 58 patients were evaluated, with 11 transported to local hospitals for further medical evaluation,” CAL Fire/Fresno County Fire said.
“Nobody in the community was affected by this spill. Everyone in the community of Del Rey was notified, and there is no exposure to the outside of the factory itself,” an officer told ABC30.
A report filed by POM Wonderful following the incident describes about a gallon of BioSide HS 15% –– a chemical substance –– leaking through a “pin hole size leak in the transfer line onto wet asphalt.”
Employees also reported difficulty in breathing and feeling lightheaded.
Following a test, evacuations around the area were lifted and workers were able to return the same night.
The Del Rey facility is POM Wonderful’s main manufacturing location for its pomegranate business. Millions of pomegranates are extracted into juice, and the company also makes its bottles on site.
Sunday’s incident comes after toxic chemicals were leaked from a massive 34,000-gallon tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove back in May.
Nearly 50,000 residents had to evacuate as a result of the spill and the FBI even launched a raid on the facility in search of documents or devices related to hazardous material.
The cause of the spill was said to have been from the tank holding 7,000 gallons of a highly flammable liquid used in plastic manufacturing –– methyl methacrylate –– that began heating up after the cooling mechanism stopped working.
A $125 million settlement was later reached with GKN Aerospace.
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