St. Paul chemical spill prompts evacuation
St. Paul firefighters evacuated a building downtown Tuesday morning following a chemical spill.
St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said that a janitor had accidentally mixed two chemicals and released a cloud of vapor.
The incident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. in the St. Paul Athletic Club building, which has a swimming pool on the 8th floor, according to Zaccard. The fire marshal said fire personnel evacuated the building as a precaution and that personnel from a state hazardous materials team found no dangerous vapor in the building after going inside to investigate.
Occupants were allowed back into the building and the materials removed by a waste company this afternoon.
The building's owners said later that they believed the incident involved chemicals mixed by a pool technician and that the vapor was only carbon dioxide.
Fire officials say one person was taken to Regions Hospital from the scene, but was treated and released.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.