CHEMICAL SPILL AT LAIRD CENTER CLEARED

A spill of a half liter of nitric acid prompted a partial evacuation at the Laird Center on the Marshfield Clinic campus shortly before 2 p.m. on Monday. No patients needed to be evacuated. The spill occurred on the third floor on the west side of the building. Marshfield Fire & Rescue responded and were able to give an all-clear. This is a developing story. Check back shortly for updates. The Marshfield Fire & Rescue Department was dispatched at 1:27 p.m. for a report of a nitric acid spill in the lab of the Melvin Laird Center. MFRD responded with two engines, one ambulance, and a hazardous materials response vehicle. Laird Center staff indicated they were wasting approximately 300 milliliters of nitric acid into a one liter container when an unplanned reaction occurred, resulting in a yellow/orange gas. Two floors of the Laird Center were evacuated and all employees were accounted for as reported by staff. Hazardous materials technicians made entry with chemical suits and equipment to monitor the atmosphere and to evaluate and isolate the chemicals. The building ventilation system was used to exchange the air in the building.