CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Firefighters arrive to investigate a chemical spill.

Fumes force
market evacuation

2 people go to a hospital, and
10 others are decontaminated
by the Fire Department

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By Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com

Fumes from old paint or a similar petroleum-based substance sent two people to the hospital with watery eyes and scratchy throats and forced the evacuation of the Beretania Foodland Store and offices at the neighboring Mormon Tabernacle, Honolulu Fire Department officials said.

Ten others were decontaminated by HFD's hazardous-materials teams and sent to Queen's Medical Center for observation.

The substance, described as a white liquid or cream, was discovered in a trash bin outside the Foodland store.

A driver for Horizon Waste Services of Hawaii reported that he smelled gasoline after he had emptied the container into his truck about 5 a.m. yesterday, a company official said.

Horizon supervisor Charlie Davis said it is not uncommon for people to put paints, paint thinners, gasoline, grease and oil into trash containers.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
People pass a trash container suspected to
be the source of the chemical.

Some of the substance dripped onto the truck's windshield, so the driver, who Davis identified as Albert Walker, wiped it off and continued on his collection route.

"As he continued on through his route, started picking up more trash, inhaling that stuff, it probably hit him," Davis said.

By 8:30 a.m. others at the store who smelled the fumes emanating from the trash container and may have come in contact with the substance called the Fire Department.

Walker returned to the store, reported his symptoms to fire officials and went to Queen's, Davis said. One other person who experienced watery eyes and a scratchy throat went for treatment on his own, said Capt. Richard Soo, HFD spokesman.

Five others were kept at the store until fire officials could take a sample of the substance and have it analyzed. They included two Foodland employees, a store manager and two vendors making deliveries, Soo said. They were decontaminated and then transported to the hospital.

Five drivers who had made deliveries earlier returned to the store, where they also were decontaminated and taken to Queen's.

"I've never seen so many people come back to be assessed, deconned and transported," Soo said.

A Foodland spokeswoman said the Beretania store reopened around 5 p.m., and Horizon replaced the trash container with two new ones with locks.