POM Wonderful leak sends 11 to hospital, evacuates at least 150

Eleven people were transported to local hospitals after a chemical leak at POM Wonderful’s pomegranate plant in Del Rey, California, where 58 people were evaluated and at least 150 people were evacuated.

The incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. Sunday near Jefferson Avenue and Delray Avenue. More than 100 workers left the area as firefighters responded to a spill that authorities identified as a cleaning solution.

What did emergency crews find?

CAL Fire/Fresno County Fire said: “Earlier today, firefighters responded to a chemical spill in the area of Jefferson Ave and Delray Ave. The substance was identified as a cleaning solution. A total of 58 patients were evaluated, with 11 transported to local hospitals for further medical evaluation.”

The published account included no hospital names, diagnoses or updates on the 11 patients. It also did not say whether all 58 evaluated people were employees, although more than 100 workers left the site.

The initial account called the release a toxic chemical leak. Responders identified it as a cleaning solution. The report did not reconcile that wording or describe the substance’s composition beyond the product name.

How much leaked, and where?

POM Wonderful’s incident report described about one gallon of BioSide HS 15% escaping through a “pin hole size leak in the transfer line onto wet asphalt.” The company account did not explain how the pinhole formed or identify who maintained the transfer line.

Employees reported difficulty breathing and feeling lightheaded. Following a test, officials lifted evacuations around the area and allowed workers to return that night. The report did not say what the test measured or who conducted it.

Was the community or product exposed?

An officer told ABC30: “Nobody in the community was affected by this spill. Everyone in the community of Del Rey was notified, and there is no exposure to the outside of the factory itself.”

That assurance covered the surrounding community and the factory exterior. The report said nothing about whether the cleaning solution contacted pomegranate fruit, juice, bottles or other product inside the plant. No contamination finding, recall, production-loss estimate or cleanup cost was reported.

The Del Rey facility is POM Wonderful’s main manufacturing location for its pomegranate business. Millions of pomegranates are extracted into juice there. The company also makes its bottles on site, placing juice processing and packaging inside the same affected facility.

The account did not specify whether processing or bottling lines stopped or how long any interruption lasted. Without throughput and interruption figures, any estimate of lost output, margin pressure or insurance exposure would be speculative.

How does the Garden Grove spill compare?

The Del Rey event followed a May incident involving a massive 34,000-gallon tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove. Nearly 50,000 residents evacuated after toxic chemicals escaped.

The reported cause was a cooling failure that allowed 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable liquid used in plastic manufacturing, to heat. The published account did not reconcile the 34,000-gallon tank description with the 7,000-gallon quantity it attributed to the leaking tank.

The FBI also raided the GKN facility for documents or devices related to hazardous material. A $125 million settlement was later reached with GKN Aerospace. The report did not describe the settlement terms.

What remains unresolved?

The current account establishes the emergency scope: 58 evaluations, 11 hospital transports, more than 100 workers leaving and at least 150 evacuations. It does not establish the root cause, product-safety result or financial liability for Sunday’s incident.

Further disclosure on the transfer line, testing and product safety will determine whether the event was an isolated failure or a broader operational risk for a site that handles fruit, juice and bottle production.