Carbon Dioxide Leak Hospitalizes Nearly 100 In Vallejo

By Bay City News Service

Nearly 100 people who suffered nausea, dizziness and breathing
problems from a carbon dioxide leak at a Vallejo food processing plant this
afternoon were treated at Solano and Napa County hospitals, a fire captain
said.
          The leak occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the kitchen of Ghiringhelli
Specialty Foods at 101 Benicia Ave.
          "There are conflicting stories how it happened," fire Capt. Marty
Culverwell said.
          Ninety-five people were treated at Sutter Solano Medical Center,
Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, both in Vallejo, the NorthBay
Medical Center in Fairfield and Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa,
Culverwell said. Twenty ambulances and two buses transported the patients.
          Sutter Solano Medical Center treated and released 44 people,
hospital spokesman Sy Neilson said. One male patient was admitted and was in
serious condition.
          Seven people initially went to Sutter Solano and others arrived by
ambulances, fire trucks and a bus, Neilson said.
          The hospital implemented its incident command system. Patients
began arriving between 1:30 and 2 p.m.
          Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center treated some 30 people
for headaches, nausea and respiratory issues, spokeswoman Deniene Erickson
said. All were expected to be released.
          Sixteen people went to the NorthBay Medical Center and eight to
Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Culverwell said.
          Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods makes private-label fresh and frozen
food, including salads, wraps, burritos and pizza in its 50,000 square-foot
plant for retail outlets, according to the company's website.