Grow Group Inc

Insilco to Sell Sinclair Paint: The agreement to sell for $51 million to Grow Group Inc. excludes some real estate assets. Insilco Corp., which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April, 1993, also said it has abandoned plans to sell two other units, Rolodex and Curtis Manufacturing Co. Proceeds from the Sinclair Paint Co. sale, which is expected to close by Aug. 1, will go toward reducing Insilco's debt.

Insilco to Sell Sinclair Paint: The agreement to sell for $51 million to Grow Group Inc. excludes some real estate assets. Insilco Corp., which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April, 1993, also said it has abandoned plans to sell two other units, Rolodex and Curtis Manufacturing Co. Proceeds from the Sinclair Paint Co. sale, which is expected to close by Aug. 1, will go toward reducing Insilco's debt.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District on Wednesday served notices of violations on a City of Commerce chemical plant that emitted a chemical cloud that forced the evacuation of up to 28,000 Eastside residents over the weekend. AQMD spokesman Bill Kelly said the notices accused the Grow Group Inc. plant of creating a public nuisance in two ways--by releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and for failure to have its air pollution control permits posted in the workplace.

A New York-based chemical company pleaded no contest Tuesday to criminal charges of mishandling hazardous wastes and agreed to pay a $400,000 fine and contribute $350,000 to scholarships at five Los Angeles-area high schools, officials said. The Los Angeles district attorney's office filed criminal charges against Grow Group Inc.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Monday cited a City of Commerce company for eight violations of federal health and safety laws in connection with a chlorine gas leak that forced about 20,000 residents to evacuate their homes over the Labor Day weekend. Frank Strasheim, OSHA's assistant regional administrator in San Francisco, said Grow Group Inc. has been cited for three willful and five serious violations of job safety and health standards.

When the workers on the graveyard shift at a Commerce paper factory saw a fat dirty-brown cloud heading toward them early Saturday, they knew exactly what to do. They fled to the Jack-In-The-Box Family Restaurant several blocks away. In recent months, dodging toxic clouds has become routine for them. And they are furious. Seven employees of the Kirk Paper Co. were hospitalized Saturday after dashing through a low-lying toxic cloud that was triggered by a chemical fire at Grow Group Inc.

A New York-based chemical company pleaded no contest Tuesday to criminal charges of mishandling hazardous wastes and agreed to pay a $400,000 fine and contribute $350,000 to scholarships at five Los Angeles-area high schools, officials said. The Los Angeles district attorney's office filed criminal charges against Grow Group Inc.

A takeover bid was scrapped Tuesday for Grow Group Inc., whose plant in the City of Commerce had chemical leaks Saturday and Sunday that forced the mass evacuation of thousands of nearby residents. PPG Industries said it was dropping its $300-million plan to acquire the New York manufacturer of paint and chemical coatings but gave no reason for the surprise decision. The announcement sent the stock of Grow Group tumbling on the New York Stock Exchange.

Los Angeles County officials Thursday threatened to close the Commerce chemical plant where a fire and gas leak led to two evacuations last weekend unless as many as six regulatory agencies are satisfied that corrective measures will ensure against future spills.

In the sweltering heat, the residents of Barrio Simons--a tucked-away pocket of homes in Montebello--were grateful for one thing on Monday. There was no evacuation. "I woke up at 1 o'clock this morning and I expected the police to come back and tell us to leave again," 13-year-old Juan Jose Ramirez said as he sat under a shady tree to avoid the oppressive sun. "I kept waiting, but they didn't come." "My stuff was packed," said Jeff Pinsky, 39, who lives a block away from the Ramirez home.

The Los Angeles district attorney's office Thursday filed a 10-count complaint against a City of Commerce chemical plant where toxic clouds forced the evacuation of up to 28,000 Eastside residents over the Labor Day weekend. In one felony and nine misdemeanor counts, Grow Group Inc. and its president of consumer products who oversees the plant, Leslie Wilde, were charged with violating sections of the state Hazardous Waste Control Law that deal with the disposal and storage of hazardous wastes.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Monday cited a City of Commerce company for eight violations of federal health and safety laws in connection with a chlorine gas leak that forced about 20,000 residents to evacuate their homes over the Labor Day weekend. Frank Strasheim, OSHA's assistant regional administrator in San Francisco, said Grow Group Inc. has been cited for three willful and five serious violations of job safety and health standards.

Los Angeles County authorities have acknowledged that there were confusion and some glitches during last weekend's massive evacuations caused by a chemical spill at a Commerce plant, but generally gave themselves high marks for their efforts.

Los Angeles County officials Thursday threatened to close the Commerce chemical plant where a fire and gas leak led to two evacuations last weekend unless as many as six regulatory agencies are satisfied that corrective measures will ensure against future spills.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District on Wednesday served notices of violations on a City of Commerce chemical plant that emitted a chemical cloud that forced the evacuation of up to 28,000 Eastside residents over the weekend. AQMD spokesman Bill Kelly said the notices accused the Grow Group Inc. plant of creating a public nuisance in two ways--by releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and for failure to have its air pollution control permits posted in the workplace.

The City of Commerce chemical plant where a chlorine leak forced the evacuation of up to 28,000 Eastside residents over the weekend will be cited by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, officials said Tuesday. AQMD officials--who were called in early Saturday when the first hazardous spill occurred--said the Grow Group Inc.

The Los Angeles district attorney's office Thursday filed a 10-count complaint against a City of Commerce chemical plant where toxic clouds forced the evacuation of up to 28,000 Eastside residents over the Labor Day weekend. In one felony and nine misdemeanor counts, Grow Group Inc. and its president of consumer products who oversees the plant, Leslie Wilde, were charged with violating sections of the state Hazardous Waste Control Law that deal with the disposal and storage of hazardous wastes.

The City of Commerce chemical plant where a chlorine leak forced the evacuation of up to 28,000 Eastside residents over the weekend will be cited by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, officials said Tuesday. AQMD officials--who were called in early Saturday when the first hazardous spill occurred--said the Grow Group Inc.

A takeover bid was scrapped Tuesday for Grow Group Inc., whose plant in the City of Commerce had chemical leaks Saturday and Sunday that forced the mass evacuation of thousands of nearby residents. PPG Industries said it was dropping its $300-million plan to acquire the New York manufacturer of paint and chemical coatings but gave no reason for the surprise decision. The announcement sent the stock of Grow Group tumbling on the New York Stock Exchange.

In the sweltering heat, the residents of Barrio Simons--a tucked-away pocket of homes in Montebello--were grateful for one thing on Monday. There was no evacuation. "I woke up at 1 o'clock this morning and I expected the police to come back and tell us to leave again," 13-year-old Juan Jose Ramirez said as he sat under a shady tree to avoid the oppressive sun. "I kept waiting, but they didn't come." "My stuff was packed," said Jeff Pinsky, 39, who lives a block away from the Ramirez home.