Mystery illness prompts hazmat response at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad

A hazardous materials team was dispatched to Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad after eight members of the custody staff were sickened Friday afternoon, California corrections officials said.

The Monterey County Hazardous Materials Response Team, which was summoned, is specially trained to respond to chemical spills, toxic reactions and illicit synthetic opioid exposures, according to the county Health Department.