Santa Ana : Chemical Vapor Leaks After Power Failure
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Vapor from a chemical used in the cleaning of metals leaked from a manufacturing plant after a power failure early Thursday, authorities said.
No injuries were reported as a result of the leak at the ITT Canon plant, and the emission did not reach hazardous levels, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Fire Department said.
The leak occurred at 7:45 a.m. at the plant in the 600 block of East Dyer Road when the power failed, said Sandra Wood, spokeswoman for the electronics components manufacturer.
Wood said that when the power went out, exhaust fans failed, causing the vapors of untreated perchloroethylene, a chemical used to clean metal components, to leak into the air. About 185 employees working in the metal plating department were evacuated as a precaution, she said.
They were sent home about 10 a.m. because power had not been restored in their department, Wood said. The remaining 715 employees at the plant remained on the job, and power was fully restored at noon, she said.
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