Cleanup Begins at Site of Blaze : Uranium Is First to Be Removed From Gutted Plant

Federal hazardous-waste specialists on Tuesday began supervising the removal of uranium from a fire-gutted chemical supply company in Sun Valley. Officials called the move a precaution before tackling removal of burned poisons and acids from the site, expected to take the rest of the week.

County health officials lifted a two-block evacuation order late Tuesday afternoon, but said it would be reimposed Saturday when dangerous acids are removed from the ruins of the Research Organic and Inorganic Chemicals Co. on De Garmo Avenue.

The evacuation was ordered Monday after hydrofluoric acid fumes formed among the charred and broken chemical containers. The company was destroyed by fire Saturday.

56 People Injured

Sickening fumes from burning chemicals sent 56 fire, police and news personnel to hospitals for treatment. All but two, a police officer and a news photographer, were released soon afterward.

Jonathan Robinson of Sun Valley, a security guard hospitalized Monday after exposure to the fumes, was in good condition Tuesday and was expected to be released today, according to a spokesman for Serra Memorial Hospital in Sun Valley.

The fire scene was inspected Tuesday by a Coast Guard hazardous-waste “strike force” from the San Francisco area working in sealed rubber suits and gas masks under the direction of Chris Weden, a site coordinator for the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA took over supervision of the site Monday because neither the company’s owner nor city or county officials could guarantee payment of the estimated $100,000 cleanup bill of a private hazardous-waste disposal firm.

Weden said attempts to contact the owner of the chemical company, Marianne Pratter, to warn her that the federal government would try to recoup the cost of the cleanup had been unsuccessful.

The federal force’s first action was to contract with a private radioactive-materials dealer to remove a barrel containing about 12 gallons of uranium salts for shipment to a federal nuclear waste dump, Weden said. He added, however, that the barrel had a very low level of radioactivity and had remained well-sealed.

Anastacio Medina, chief of the county hazardous-waste control program, said the uranium is “less dangerous than the other stuff that remains” but was removed first because “psychologically, people have so much fear of it.”

Acids to Be Isolated

The next step in the cleanup will be to isolate an assortment of strong acids, which present the greatest danger because they could combine with spilled chemicals to generate toxic gases, as happened Monday, Weden said.

“We feel we can segregate them in place and work around them,” he said, referring to the acids. Workers first will haul away the non-hazardous debris, he said.

Medina said the acids will be removed Saturday because there will be fewer people in the area, which has several light industries.