Friday, January 30, 2009

Breaking News: LAC HAZ-MAT WMD response brings felony charges

Hotel firm charged in LA pool chem disposal

The corporate owner of downtown's The Standard hotel has been charged with a felony alleging workers illegally disposed of pool chemicals that sickened subway riders and sparked fears of a terrorist attack.

According to the federal complaint unveiled Friday, workers poured acid and chlorine down a roof drain beside the hotel pool on Jan. 19. The chemicals, pumped from two 50-gallon tanks that were three-quarters full, snaked down to a street-level storm drain and the fumes caused people to start vomiting at a subway station two blocks away.

"They thought initially it was a terrorist incident," said Joseph Johns, who heads the environmental crimes section at the U.S. attorneys office. "You get a report of chlorine gas in the subway and everyone starts thinking nerve gas a la Tokyo."

About 100 first responders showed up at the scene including police, fire and FBI hazardous materials personnel, as well as a weapons of mass destruction coordinator for the FBI. The nearest intersection was shut down for hours.

The complaint names Hotelsab LLC, doing business as Andre Balazs Properties, as the defendant. The company also owns Chateau Marmont and the Mercer along with other luxury hotels in Florida and New York.

"We are sorry for this employee mistake involving diluted swimming pool chemicals," said a statement issued by Nadine Johnson, a spokeswoman for The Standard. "We will continue to assist the government."

The Standard is a popular night spot where the city's young and hip crowd can lounge by the rooftop pool sipping drinks against the backdrop of the skyline.

The maximum fine for the disposing of hazardous waste without a permit is $500,000, Johns said.

On Nov. 18 Los Angeles County Fire Department hazardous materials investigator Jim McCarron gave the hotel a maintenance request telling officials that they urgently needed to do something about the chemicals on the roof.

Late that night a hotel supervisor tasked Jared Murphy, a hotel employee who works the graveyard shift, to take care of the problem. In the complaint, Murphy said his supervisor instructed him to put on gloves and run water down the drain while he pumped the concentrated chemicals out of the tanks.

Murphy said he was told the water would "not make it so hazardous."

Johns said more charges could be filed if it's determined that company officials or employees knew that disposing of hazardous chemicals without a permit was illegal.

"Dilution is not the solution to pollution," John said.

Source: SF Gate - Link

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