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Image / Major chlorine spill in Commerce

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Title
Major chlorine spill in Commerce
Alternative Title
Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection
Creator
Sergieff, Mike
Date Created and/or Issued
1988
Contributing Institution
Los Angeles Public Library
Collection
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Rights Information
Images available for reproduction and use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/OrderingUse.html for additional information.
Description
Title supplied by cataloger.
2,000 pounds of smoldering chemicals that were stored in large drums at a Grow Group Inc. plant, released a toxic cloud that blanketed a half-mile area in the City of Commerce, causing thousands of Southeast L.A. residents to evacuate their homes early Saturday morning. The chemical that leaked from the company, which produces chlorine tablets for swimming pools, is extremely irritating to the eyes, throat and mucus membranes, and could also pose more serious problems for people with chronic respiratory illnesses. The technical name for the white substance, which is available in crystalline powder, granule or pellet forms, is trichloro-triazine-trione. Sixty-eight people were treated for minor injuries, mainly respiratory problems, and two others remained hospitalized after complaining of chest pains. Thousands more were directed to a half-dozen emergency shelters for several hours while the contamination was brought under control.
Los Angeles County Firefighters can be seen hosing off another after he exited from the Grow Group Inc. plant, located at 2501 Malt Avenue in the City of Commerce, which contained hazardous chemical drums that spilled toxic fumes. Photograph dated September 3, 1988.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;26 x 33 cm. on sheet 29 x 36 cm.
Photographic prints
Identifier
00096047
Herald Examiner Collection
HE_b008_f1_i28-8
CARL0005108214
http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/30175
Subject
Fire fighters--California--Los Angeles County
Hazardous substances--Accidents--California--Commerce
Gases, Asphyxiating and poisonous--California--Commerce
Buildings--Evacuation--California--Commerce
Hazardous substances--California--Commerce
Industrial facilities--California--Commerce
Commerce (Calif.)
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner photographs
Herald-Examiner Collection photographs

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