State indicts worker, driver, and company in North Brunswick gym chemical incident
Prosecutors allege the man failed to maintain required, legible safety labels on hazardous material containers.
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Two men and a pool maintenance company have been indicted after a hazardous chemical mix-up at a North Brunswick fitness club released toxic gas that hospitalized six people.
The New Jersey attorney general and the Division of Criminal Justice announced the charges following a state investigation into the July 16, 2026, incident at the Brunswick Shopping Center on Milltown Road.
Ziad Natshe, 45, of Clifton, was indicted on a second-degree charge of risking widespread injury or damage. Jonathan Ball, 53, of Willingboro, and Mahwah-based United Pools of New Jersey Inc., doing business as Arch Pool Management, were each charged with third-degree risking widespread injury or damage.
Natshe and United Pools face additional third- and fourth-degree counts involving violations of public safety laws resulting in bodily injury.
According to court filings, Natshe was employed by United Pools to maintain the pool and spa equipment at the health club. Prosecutors allege Natshe failed to maintain required, legible safety labels on hazardous material containers, including hydrochloric (muriatic) acid and sodium hypochlorite, a commercial chlorine solution.
Investigators said Ball, who was delivering sodium hypochlorite for Miracle Chemical Company, failed to properly verify the receiving container before transfer. The chlorine solution was poured directly into a tank containing muriatic acid, triggering a chemical reaction that vented toxic chlorine gas throughout the spa equipment room and facility.
The release left eight people affected, sending six to local hospitals—including Ball, who was found dazed at the scene. Emergency crews evacuated the building after detecting a strong chlorine odor, prompting a multi-agency response from North Brunswick police, firefighters, EMS, and the Middlesex County Hazmat Team.
"The conduct that resulted in these charges involved more than a simple mistake by one person," Attorney General Davenport said in a statement. "We allege multiple failures that led to injuries. The law is in place to prevent incidents like this."
Second-degree charges carry a potential sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and fines up to $150,000. Third-degree offenses carry three to five years in prison, while fourth-degree charges carry up to 18 months.
