Substance in Chemical Leak at L.A. Port ID'd

WILMINGTON, CA - The leak of a corrosive substance from a shipping container caused "minimal" disruption to a terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, authorities said Friday.

The leak was reported at 3:20 p.m. Thursday at Berth 406 near Navy Way on Terminal Island, according to Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A hazardous materials crew entered the container and took samples of the substance, which was slowly leaking from drums on pallets inside a 40-foot container, Scott said.

The crew contained and stopped the leak, then wrapped the container so it could be moved to a safe location for a private company to complete the clean-up, Scott said.

Phillip Sanfield of the Port of Los Angeles identified the chemical as ethanolamine. There was "minimal disruption to the terminal," Sanfield said.

--City News Service, photo via Wiki Commons