FEBRUARY 26, 2015
NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. (MyFoxBoston.com)
An ammonia leak led to the evacuation of a building at
Saint-Gobain Research and Development on Goddard Road Thursday morning.
Emergency personnel responded to a Level 2 hazardous
materials situation at an industrial complex in Northborough, Thursday morning
after ammonia gas was emitted and vented in a room according to the city's fire
department.
Firefighters responded to the scene at Goddard Road at around 9:20 a.m. after employees in the room noticed the gas coming through. The building, which is part of a five-building research complex, was shut down and evacuated.
Firefighters called in the hazardous materials team after learning ammonia was the chemical being emitted.
The gas was contained to one room because of the quick-acting employees, fire officials said. Once firefighters and the hazmat team could no longer detect a level of ammonia, at around 12:30 p.m. the building was reopened and employees allowed to return.
Firefighters responded to the scene at Goddard Road at around 9:20 a.m. after employees in the room noticed the gas coming through. The building, which is part of a five-building research complex, was shut down and evacuated.
Firefighters called in the hazardous materials team after learning ammonia was the chemical being emitted.
The gas was contained to one room because of the quick-acting employees, fire officials said. Once firefighters and the hazmat team could no longer detect a level of ammonia, at around 12:30 p.m. the building was reopened and employees allowed to return.
Lauren M. Petit, a company spokeswoman, said the cause of
the leak is under investigation. She said ammonia is used in the process of
manufacturing ceramic materials. The leak was noticed by an employee about 9:15
a.m. The fire department responded with a hazmat team. Employees returned to
the building about 12:30 p.m.
The facility, which opened in 1985, is Saint-Gobain's largest research center in the world.
The facility, which opened in 1985, is Saint-Gobain's largest research center in the world.
