Firm, Fire Officials Disagree About Spill

The cleanup of spill an Anaheim chemical company ended Thursday with company fire officials in disagreement whether the four barrels of blue dirt that were taken fromthe site were dangerous.

The dirt had been mixed with a liquid that had spilled on the property of Marine Biochemist, in the 2900 block of La Jolla Street. Fire officials evacuated 10 businesses Wednesday afternoon when they learned of the spill. The Fire Department said the barrels contain an algae killer that was intentionally and illegally dumped on the property of Marine Biochemist, which is next door to and owned by the same group as the company that produced the chemical, Applied Biochemist.

The chemical was identified by fire officials Wednesday night as Aquathol-K, a potassium-based substance used to kill algae in sewers and lakes.

Brad Howell, the general manager of both Marine Biochemist and Applied Biochemist, said the substance is a harmless blue dye concentrate used to color lakes.

“It’s not toxic,” said Howell.

The spill occurred around 5 p.m. Wednesday when people in the surrounding industrial area were leaving work. The blue chemical drained down the gutter to Applied Biochemical, scaring nearby business people.

The chemical that the Fire Department believes the material to be is dangerous if it is ingested, comes into contact with skin or seeps into ground water, according to Anaheim fire investigator Mike Feeney.