St. Paul chemical spill prompts evacuation

Chemical spill
St. Paul firefighters enter the St. Paul Athletic Club to evaluate a chemical spill by a janitor in the building involving chlorine and sulfuric acid.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson

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.

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