Chemical Spill Sickens 3 Port Of L.A. Dock Workers
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Three dock workers are in the hospital Saturday night after an industrial chemical spill on a cargo ship at the Port of Los Angeles.
The spill prompted an evacuation and investigation by a hazardous materials team, Los Angeles Fire spokesman Brian Humphrey said.
The leak was reported at 4:15 p.m. aboard the APL Sweden at Berth 303, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"An unknown number of personnel was calmly removed ... per protocol," Humphrey said.
The leak was small – about one to two gallons – and no land-based evacuations were ordered. The chemical was later identified as Xylenol, which is sometimes used in pesticides.
The chemical was removed, but three male dock workers were hospitalized with "minor respiratory complaints," Humphrey said.
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