A hazardous materials incident in Redwood City Tuesday morning sent three Recology employees to the hospital and prompted the evacuation of several businesses, a city spokesman said.
Around 10 a.m., the Redwood City Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a hazardous materials spill in the 1500 block of Main Street, Redwood City spokesman Malcolm Smith said.
Firefighters from Redwood City, Belmont and Woodside responded, as did Redwood City police and the county hazardous materials team, Smith said.
Two Recology waste management garbage collectors had emptied a Dumpster into the garbage truck, Smith said. When they attempted to compress the materials with the truck, a white container burst, emitting a white fume, he said.
The two employees began feeling ill and vomiting. The Recology employees notified their supervisor, who called 911, Smith said.
Upon arriving at the scene, supervisor also began feeling ill, and all three were taken to a hospital, he said.
Four businesses on Main Street were evacuated and remained closed this afternoon while the hazardous materials team investigated the incident.
One of the chemicals has been identified as ammonia, and the hazardous materials team is continuing testing on the material in the back of the garbage truck, Smith said. Once the chemicals are determined, they will aim to neutralize them, he said.
A section of Main Street in downtown Redwood City remained closed to traffic between Chestnut Street and Pine Street Tuesday afternoon, and part of Pine Street was also closed.
-- Bay City News
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