Residents from Long Beach to Orange County noticed a strange odor in the air on Thursday, Sept. 10 the result of a chemical spill near Compton, officials said.<\/p>\n
Workers cleaning by an oil well in the 200 block of Alsina Street in Los Angeles knocked over a tank of liquid mercaptan, a non-toxic chemical used to add a detectable smell to natural gas and other hazardous materials, at about 11:15 a.m., Los Angles County Fire Department officials said.<\/p>\n
The substance gave off an odor as it evaporated and was blown south.<\/p>\n
Its highly concentrated in its liquid form, said Marvin Lim, a Fire Department spokesman. It went up into the air, and the winds carried it.<\/p>\n
The odor could be smelled throughout the region, as far away as Anaheim and Buena Park, officials in those cities said.<\/p>\n
Although only two gallons of the chemical was spilled, it can be quite pungent, Fire Department inspector Sean Ferguson said. It has a rotten egg or skunk smell to it.<\/p>\n
People were able to smell it over a wide area, Ferguson said. It got picked up over the winds, so we had folks in scattered pockets getting a smell of this, calling 911 thinking it was a gas leak.<\/p>\n
Fire officials helped mop up the chemical.<\/p>\n
The odor did not pose any health risks, but those with sensitive senses of smell were advised to stay indoors until it dissipated.<\/p>\n
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Excerpt from: Residents from Long Beach to Orange County noticed a strange odor in the air on Thursday, Sept. 10 the result of a chemical spill near Compton, officials said Continue reading
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