NEWS RELEASE
Release: Immediately
Contact: Storm Smith/Community Liaison
503-612-7013 / 503-301-9135 (pager)
June 8, 2001

Seventeen people were sent to area hospitals for treatment Thursday evening following a small chemical leak at Maxim Integrated Products at 14320 SW Jenkins Road, a Beaverton-area manufacturing facility. The patients were complaining of shortness of breath and headache following their apparent exposure to chlorine and hydrogen bromide gases. The employees were evacuated from the area of the building where the leak occurred at about 8:15 p.m. by the company's emergency response team and the leak was reported contained by 8:45 p.m.

More than a dozen engine companies from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R), along with the district's Hazardous Materials Regional Response Team, responded to the incident.

"We had about 50 firefighters and paramedics on-scene to assess the patients' conditions, provide initial treatment and help load the patients into Metro West Ambulances," said Storm Smith, a spokesperson for TVF&R. "Five of the 17 were assessed to have slightly more serious symptoms of exposure to the chemicals. The other 12 had very minor complaints and symptoms. All were taken to hospitals for treatment and observation." The hospitals included OHSU, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Meridian Park Hospital, Woodland Park Hospital, Tuality Hospital and Providence Portland Medical Center.

"The Maxim emergency response team initiated this alarm," Smith added. "Their concern was to make sure than anyone and everyone who had even the slightest exposure to the chemicals were properly assessed by medical personnel. The leaked products were in a gas form and were scrubbed from the air by the building's compartmentalized air handling system," Smith said. "There was no danger to any citizens outside the facility at any time. The Haz-Mat team monitored the air quality in the affected section of the building and company maintenance workers returned to that area when the air quality was clear." All TVF&R crews cleared the scene by shortly after 10 p.m.

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