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National Tree Day Planet Ark Home
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LA chemical spill closes mall, highway |
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| USA: July 19, 2002 | ||
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LOS ANGELES - Authorities evacuated a shopping mall and shut down a major highway this week in a suburb east of Los Angeles after a tanker truck overturned and spilled potentially explosive chemicals.
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Police and firefighters cleared a three-mile area around the tanker, shutting down both freeway lanes and the nearby Puente Hills Mall, California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Perez said. The tanker carrying organic peroxide and paint, both highly combustible chemicals, fell over on a northbound on-ramp to the Pomona (60) Freeway in the City of Industry at about 11 a.m. PDT, said Perez. Motorists trapped for 10 miles on either side of the wreck got out of their cars and milled about the roadway until the freeway reopened about 2-1/2 hours later. No injuries were reported, although hazardous materials crews remained at the scene attempting to right the rig without causing an explosion. "Because of volatility of the material it can ignite upon contact with heat," Perez said. Temperatures in the area were close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38C).
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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