The most interesting point here is the ambiguity of the phrase  
"research lab". In my mind, this is a facility incident rather than a  
lab incident...

- Ralph

Chemical spill forces evacuation at Stanford research lab

The Associated Press
Last Updated 4:20 pm PST Tuesday, February 6, 2007

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - A chemical spill forced the temporary closure  
and evacuation of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center early  
Tuesday, officials said.

A technician discovered that five to 10 gallons of diluted sulfuric  
acid had spilled at a cooling tower about 2 a.m., according to the  
center, a national laboratory that conducts research in high-energy  
physics.

The center, which is run by Stanford University, evacuated five  
employees from a nearby building, cordoned off the cooling tower and  
notified Palo Alto Fire Department, which sent a hazardous materials  
unit to contain the spill.

It took crews five hours to contain the leak at the cooling tower,  
one of seven that cools water used to absorb heat created by the high- 
speed atom smasher.

Center officials said the spill caused no injuries and posed no  
environmental risk. The center is working with a private contractor  
to clean up the spill, repair the leak and investigate its cause.

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post