Hollister police and fire officials closed off the 1200 block of
South Street for nearly three hours Saturday morning to dispose of
what fire officials called a highly explosive substance.
Hollister police and fire officials closed off the 1200 block of South Street for nearly three hours Saturday morning to dispose of what fire officials called a highly explosive substance.
Members of the Santa Clara County Bomb Squad who specialize in the disposal of explosive chemicals were called to the Hollister Public Works Yard where the substance was discovered by staff during a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, a program sponsored by San Benito County Integrated Waste Management.
At about 9:45 a.m. Saturday, an unidentified resident brought a large container of a crystalline substance that officials described as “highly explosive.” Staff at the disposal site immediately recognized the material as dangerous and called the police and fire departments.
The fire department immediately ordered the site shut down as police moved to block off the 1200 block of South Street and the surrounding area and fire officials called the bomb squad in Santa Clara to dispose of the explosive chemicals.
When the bomb squad arrived, they removed the chemicals to a remote area and detonated them.
Hazardous Waste Director Mandy Rose said the incident serves to highlight the importance of proper use and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Police and fire investigators are still looking into the incident to determine if the discovery of the highly explosive material was an accident, or somehow related to criminal activity.
Every third Saturday, officials with waste management hold collection day to give residents an opportunity to safely dispose of any old or unused household hazardous wastes such as paint, solvent, ammonia, cleaners and an assortment of other chemicals.
The next collection day will be Feb. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 636-4110.
