Dive Summary:
- San Mateo prosecutors filed a suit alleging that Pellarin Construction Group, Inc. maintained unsafe work conditions that contributed to an explosion that hospitalized 3 Recology workers
- A Pellarin Construction supervisor found 5 containers of hazardous material in a company facility and ordered them placed in a dumpster. When collected by the Recology workers, the containers exploded spewing a gas mixture of ammonia and hydrochloric acid. The workers were subsequently hospitalized
- Prosecutors hope to recover the cost of clean-up and up to $200,000 in fines
From the article:
Three garbagemen were sent to the hospital when a Redwood City construction crew illegally dumped five barrels of hazardous materials in a Dumpster, San Mateo County prosecutors allege in a lawsuit they filed Monday.
Employees of Pellarin Construction Group Inc. maintained an unsafe working environment that, in part, led to them intentionally disposing of old waste in an unsafe manner, according to the lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court. Prosecutors hope to recover the costs of the chemical cleanup as well as up to $200,000 in fines.
Three employees were cleaning a company facility on Dec. 27 when a supervisor stumbled upon five containers of hazardous material that had been stored for as long as 10 years....
