Saticoy is a small, unincorporated community in Ventura County, bordering on the City of Ventura, with a population estimated at 1,500. Saticoy has a sector that could be described as a "low grade" industrial district, with numerous small businesses, storage yards, and warehouses. Several occupancies in the area use or store hazardous materials.
Pacific Intermediates occupied two bays of a multi-tenant building in a private industrial complex. The single story structure was divided into 12 bays of approximately 800 square feet each. The building was of ordinary construction with block walls and a wood roof structure. The building contained no fixed fire protection systems and there were no special features for chemical storage.
The company stored and mixed chemicals which were used as ingredients in drugs manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. The production of these ingredients is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The building housed an estimated 300 different chemicals in quantities ranging from hundreds of gallons to a few ounces. The substances included flammable liquids, toxic products, water reactive and photo sensitive chemicals, heavy metals, and corrosives. The interior of the building was crowded with chemicals stored in 55 gallon drums and many types of smaller containers, along with mixing vats, glassware, and other equipment used to mix and prepare end products for shipment. Many of the containers were unlabelled.
Several drums were stored outside the building and in a storage container in the parking area. A metal fence behind the container was heavily corroded from vapors escaping from the container or the drums stored next to it.
Fire protection in Saticoy is provided by the Ventura County Fire Department, a career department that protects the unincorporated areas of the county and several incorporated cities. An engine company provides the first due response to Saticoy on automatic aid. Both the County and City Fire Departments have trained and equipped hazardous materials response teams.
Pacific Intermediates had provided information to the County Fire Department on the types of materials present on the premises, as required by California Hazard Communications regulations. The report included several items that were known to be present in bulk quantities, as well as a long list of small quantity chemicals. The information supplied would basically comply with the SARA reporting requirements.
The Ventura County Fire Department distributed copies of the information package to the first due battalion, initial response companies, and the Hazardous Incident Response Team. The Ventura City engine company that responds to the location received a copy from the Battalion Chief. A copy was retained at Fire Prevention to be transported to the scene of an incident by an inspector. All Hazard Communications documents are managed in a similar manner.
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