Firefighters Respond To Hazmat Situation At John Wayne Airport; 3 Employees Evaluated By Paramedics
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Firefighters responded to a hazardous material situation at John Wayne Airport Friday after leaking luggage was unloaded from a jet.
At 12:25 p.m., three American Airlines employees were unloading baggage from the flight when they reported an "unknown liquid substance that was leaking from the cargo," said airport spokeswoman Marisa Unvert.
Later Friday, Unvert disclosed that the unknown substance was formaldehyde that had leaked from the packaging for an undisclosed animal part. It was reportedly being used for laboratory experiments, and was surrounded by ice packs.
Three boxes next to an American Airlines jet were spotted by Sky 9, stacked next to a wing. At least one of the boxes appeared to be leaking.
The three employees were evaluated by paramedics. None of the employees needed to be taken to the hospital, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
The department's hazmat team later identified the substance as non-hazardous animal tissue that was being transported for dissection in a lab.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)