A toxic chemical leak at a California pomegranate-processing plant sent more than 100 workers from the facility and left 11 people hospitalized.
Officials evacuated at least 150 people after the leak was reported around 4:15 p.m. Sunday at the POM Wonderful factory in Del Rey.
“Earlier today, firefighters responded to a chemical spill in the area of Jefferson Ave and Delray Ave. The substance was identified as a cleaning solution. A total of 58 patients were evaluated, with 11 transported to local hospitals for further medical evaluation,” CAL Fire/Fresno County Fire said Sunday.
“Nobody in the community was affected by this spill. Everyone in the community of Del Rey was notified and there is no exposure to the outside of the factory itself,” an officer told ABC30.
According to a report filed by POM Wonderful, approximately one gallon of BioSide HS 15% leaked through a “pin hole size leak in the transfer line onto wet asphalt.”
Employees reported having trouble breathing and experiencing lightheadedness after the incident.
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Testing later cleared the area, allowing officials to lift the evacuation order and workers to return that evening.
The Del Rey facility serves as POM Wonderful’s primary manufacturing site for its pomegranate business. Millions of pomegranates are processed there for juice, and the company also manufactures bottles at the plant.
Sunday’s leak followed a separate chemical incident in May at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, where toxic chemicals escaped from a massive 34,000-gallon tank.
Nearly 50,000 residents were forced to evacuate after that spill, while the FBI raided the facility in search of documents or devices connected to hazardous materials.
Authorities said the incident began when a tank containing 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable liquid used in plastic manufacturing, started heating after its cooling system failed.
GKN Aerospace later agreed to a $125 million settlement.
