Hazardous chemical discovery prompts closure of CEI building; IFFD report no chemical leak
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IDAHO FALLS — The sudden closure of one of College of Eastern Idaho’s buildings Tuesday afternoon left many asking what happened. School officials said a hazardous chemical had been found.
According to a release from CEI President Lori Barber sent to students, faculty and staff, college personnel, during it’s review and modernization of the college’s chemistry program and laboratory chemical inventory, identified a legacy chemical cylinder that requires specialized handling and disposal.
Idaho Falls Fire Department responded, inspected the cylinder, and found that the chemical, hydrofluoric gas, was still contained within it. No exposure has occurred.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, if low level is breathed in, can cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract. At higher levels, it can cause death from an irregular heartbeat or fluid buildup in the lungs.
As a precaution, the college chose to close Building 5 to allow the chemical to be professionally evaluated and to make arrangements for its safe disposal. Due to the time this process can take, the college decided to keep Building 5 closed until it is cleared to reopen.
“The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority. We are committed to addressing this situation responsibly and keeping our campus community informed as additional information becomes available,” Barber stated in the release.
Brenna Pincock, CEI spokeswoman, told EastIdahoNews.com that Building 5 houses numerous classes, science labs, electrical apprenticeships, communications, theater, the library, the Tutoring Center and the Center of New Directions.
In total, 34 classes were affected, with many moved to other spaces on campus, such as the Battelle Energy Alliance Future Tech Building in Partnership with Frontier Credit Union, or online.
Officials were unsure how long the building would be closed.