Temporary Emergency Permit for Chemical Stablization of Potentially Unstable Material at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Temporary Emergency Permit for Chemical Stablization of Potentially Unstable Material at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

DTSC has issued an emergency permit to Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Vertex) to treat hazardous waste by chemical stabilization. These materials are temperature sensitive and may be highly reactive and should be chemically stabilized as a safety precaution prior to being transported offsite. The items are expired and are currently being stored inside a hazardous waste storage area located at 11010 Torreyana Road, San Diego, CA 92121. The treatment of these items will be carried out by CHES and involves the addition of solvent and water to the container to reduce the reactive characteristics of the chemicals. The treatment is anticipated to occur on August 26, 2014 in exclusion zones set up at Vertex. As Vertex does not have a permit for treatment of hazardous waste, DTSC has determined that an emergency permit should be issued. The expired items are a potential safety hazard and present an unacceptable risk for storage and transportation. The emergency permit is a temporary measure, which allows Vertex to have CHES personnel treat the expired chemicals so they can be safely transported offsite for proper disposal.

San Diego