Petaluma hazmat case involved detergent

Three large drums dumped on the side of a west Petaluma roadway Tuesday evening, one leaking what was later found to be detergent, prompted an almost ?six-hour shelter-in-place request for neighbors, according to authorities Wednesday.

The illegally dumped, 55-gallon drums were found about 6:30 p.m. on Eastman and Stadler lanes, off Bodega Avenue, west of Petaluma. They were a hazard concern as one had several leaks and an unknown substance was spreading toward a nearby stream.

Testing showed it was some sort of foaming detergent, said Bob Borges, hazardous materials specialist for Sonoma County. It didn’t get to the creek and in the end wasn’t serious. “We have to treat it as hazardous until we know differently,” Borges said.

Wilmar and Cal Fire firefighters also responded. Residents in the area were told to stay away or remain at home until the situation was cleared. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office canceled the alert at 11:55 p.m.

Leaving behind waste or chemicals is illegal but common. “We have people dumping stuff on the road quite often,” Borges said. “If someone would have said ‘Hey I’ve got this drum of this foaming detergent. How do I get rid of it?’ we could have told them.”

Residents can take toxic substances to the Meacham Road landfill near Cotati and hand it over at a toxic disposal station for free. There are other options as well for getting rid of items legally, Borges said.

He recommended a quick online search, including recyclenow.org which includes information on toxic materials.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.