7/6/98

ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University's President Street Academic Center (formerly the Innovation Center) was evacuated Monday morning (July 6) following a chemical spill on the third floor of the building, according to Leroy Scribner, hazardous materials manager for Ohio University's Department of Environmental Health and Safety.

A student working on a summer project in a laboratory dropped a bottle containing 2.5 liters of concentrated hydrochloric acid on the floor of room 308 about 9:15 a.m., Scribner said.

The student was examined at Hudson Health Center and released with no injuries.

"She did what she should have done. She told her supervising professor about the spill and they both got out of the room and the building," Scribner said. "The fume hood was on and she closed the door."

Scribner said the student and professor followed university procedure in dealing with the spill and university officials contacted the Athens Fire Department. Firefighters responding to the call pulled a fire alarm to evacuate the building. Firefighters wearing breathing masks entered the building to ensure it was entirely evacuated, Scribner said.

The spill was not large enough to require the university contact outside agencies such as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Scribner said.

A team trained to respond to chemical spills from Chemical Analytics of Romulus, Mich., is expected to arrive in Athens Monday afternoon to clean up the spill, Scribner said.