Police say Samsung acid leak seeped into environment -- report
Company had said leaking hydrofluoric acid did not actually make it into the environment and was contained. But that runs contrary to a statement made today by police, says a Korean news outlet.
Hydrofluoric acid that leaked in a Samsung chip plant seeped into the environment and was not contained, police in Korea said today, directly contradicting a statement made by the company, according to Yonhap News.
The Korea-based news outlet reported that police released their findings on last month's acid leakage and found that the acid had leaked outside the plant. The police discovered the external leak by analyzing closed-circuit television footage captured within the plant.
A Samsung plant last month experienced a hydrofluoric acid leak that caused more questions than answers. The timeline surrounding the leak has been the subject of much debate, with different sources in Korea saying different things about Samsung's response.
What is clear, though, is that the company called in a cleanup crew several hours after the leak started. Five people were dispatched to the spill. However, one of the individuals, who was reportedly not wearing a full hazmat suit, died due to exposure. Four other individuals, who were wearing their full protective gear, were sent to a hospital but fully recovered, according to reports.
Soon after the leak occurred, Samsung was assessed a $900 fine by police for taking too long to address it.
According to Yonhap, police are now planning to review whether Samsung violated any law by allowing the leak to seep outside the factory. Samsung is also facing a special probe by the Ministry of Environment, according to Yonhap.
CNET has contacted Samsung for comment on the Yonhap report. We will update this story when we have more information.
(Via Engadget)