FISCAL YEAR: 2010

On January 19, 2009, the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Coordinator reported that an emergency response was triggered by the presence of chlorine gas in the City of Los Angeles Metro system. When approximately 100 personnel from numerous Federal, State and local emergency response agencies responded to the subway station near 7th and Figueroa, they encountered a chemical smell and several victims, including a law enforcement officer, who were affected by the chemicals. The subway was evacuated and the intersection of 6th and Flower was closed for several hours because of the chlorine gas. Investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department revealed that the chlorine emanated from the Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The employees of the hotel initially stated that a pool chlorine tank was discharged to a roof drain early that morning. The Los Angeles County Fire Department provided samples of the discharge to the County Sanitation Laboratory. The samples showed an extremely low pH level. Further interviews of the hotel employees revealed that they were directed to discharge both the pool chlorine and the muriatic acid tanks, which they knew to be hazardous materials. The hotel's chief engineer said that he directed the employees to discharge the pool chemicals into the sanitary sewer, not inot the storm drain. The chemicals were discharged because the pool was under a new maintenance system, which made the old chemicals useless.

April 12, 2010

STATUTE:

• Clean Water Act (CWA)