Hazmat Incident Forces Temporary Rock Creek Closure
Milton, CA — A Monday morning mishap while mixing chemicals has caused Cal Fire to temporarily shutdown the Rock Creek Solid Waste facility.
According to Public Works Program Coordinator Yvonne Van Zee, the incident occurred Monday before 11 a.m. while personnel were pouring some still-unidentified potentially flammable liquids into a container. As she recounts, “There was a chemical reaction in the bulking room and we closed the hazardous waste collection area, which is in our transfer building — and Cal Fire evacuated the whole facility for safety.” She adds that the drum is stable now and her department anticipates county contractor Clean Harbors Environmental will arrive onsite at 1 p.m. to remove the vessel, enabling the facility’s reopening this afternoon for public use.
Generally, residents and businesses in Calaveras and Alpine counties are allowed to dispose of hazardous wastes at the Rock Creek facility, located at 12021 Hunt Road, between the hours of 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily, except for major holidays. Under state transportation laws, the maximum load per vehicle is either 15 gallons of liquid in sealed, well-packed containers that are five gallons in size or less, or 125 pounds of solid material. For more information about onsite resources, requirements and limitations, click here.
