Otherwise unremarkable rocks, collected on a California beach, began spewing fire, acrid smoke and an oily residue. Leaving some in a pocket sent one woman to hospital and rendered her home a temporarily uninhabitable hazmat site.
The rocks, described as a smooth orange colored one and a smaller green one, have been sent to a state lab for testing. Initial tests at the county health department revealed phosphate. Chemistry experts said the rocks may have been coated with phosphorous, a substance that can spontaneously ignite when exposed to oxygen. Meanwhile officials from the U.S. Department of the Navy and from Camp Pendleton say they don't believe the substance stems from any military training exercises. The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is believed to not play a role in the source of the burning rocks, experts said on Thursday.
You may fetch your own Terror Pebbles from the Trestles at San Onofre State Beach. [MSNBC]
