John Mingjia Chang, owner of Brighten Restaurants, allegedly trained employees to mix and handle a mixture of sodium hydroxide and hot water, despite not being permitted to treat or dispose of hazardous waste, according to prosecutors
Prosecutors also allege that a manager in Chang's company illegally poured the mixture down the drain into the sewer.
Sodium hydroxide, also called lye, is used in some types of food preparation and also as a cleanser. It is highly caustic and can cause chemical burns if handled incorrectly.