Workers Evacuated After Acid Leak at Factory
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An acid leak at a chemical factory early Tuesday produced a toxic cloud that forced the evacuation of the company’s workers but caused no injuries, authorities said. The cloud quickly dissipated after forming at Amvac Chemical Corp. located in an industrial area of the City of Commerce.
Steve Dempsey, a Los Angeles County fire dispatcher, said workers at the factory reported the leak at about 1 a.m. The leak of hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid occurred in a transfer line, he said. The acids caused a cloud when they hit the air, Dempsey said. The cloud briefly drifted northeastward but dissipated. The leak was sealed before firefighters arrived, he said.
An undetermined number of workers were evacuated from the plant, Dempsey said. No other evacuations were made. Officials from the Los Angeles County Health Department and the South Coast Air Quality Management District were investigating the leak.
Calls to Amvac Chemical Corp. today went unanswered.
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