Investigators Find No Danger in Illegal Chemical Dump

Responders from the have found no immediate danger in a series of barrels dumped in a field on the outskirts of town Thursday, said Chestnut Station Capt. Tim Price.

While the five 55-gallon drums were found to contain relatively harmless motor oil, discarded chemicals can occasionally combine to create deadly fumes.

“The moment you get comfortable with these, that’s when you get a chemical cocktail,” the captain said. “People have lost their lives to that.”

A call reporting the illegal dump, near 300 Obata Ct., was placed around 3:30 p.m., said Gilroy fire Chief Dale Foster. Responders closed off the area before a chemical control specialist from the city’s Building, Life and Safety Department arrived to determine the contents.

Had investigators detected poisonous gas, a large area downwind of the site would have been evacuated, Price said.

The area is a common dumping spot, he added, and it will be up to the property owner to arrange for a cleanup.