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Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Seven injured in vapor leak at U of M lab

ST. PAUL (AP) — Three buildings on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus have reopened after a vapor leak sent seven people to the hospital.

Campus police say the potassium hydroxide leak was reported around 10 p.m. Monday at a veterinary diagnostic lab. The lab and two other veterinary buildings were closed but reopened Tuesday morning.

St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard (ZAK’-kurd) says the seven were taken to Regions Hospital for treatment of eye irritation after 5 gallons of potassium hydroxide leaked from a large tank where the body of a dead horse was being processed. He says their injuries were not critical.

Jim Collins, director of the university’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, says it was a vapor escape that caused the eye and throat irritation. He says a gasket around the lid of the digester allowed some of the fumes to escape.

Crews spent 2½ hours cleaning up.