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Hazmat situation at Boston College chemistry lab over after fire department finds no danger

Posted: July 16, 2012 at 5:15 am

By Jaclyn Reiss, Globe Correspondent

Boston firefighters and a hazmat team spent more than two hours testing the air at a Boston College chemistry building Sunday night after a strange odor was reported, but found no culprit, fire officials said.

The incident is the third time in just over a year that Boston firefighters have responded to the colleges Merkert Chemistry Center.

Students noticed a strange smell after entering a third-floor lab of the chemistry building, located at 2609 Beacon St. in Brighton, around 6:45 p.m. The students called Boston College Police, who notified the Boston Fire Department.

Fire officials declared the incident a level-three hazmat response, which means the firefighter entry team were fully suited up when they entered the building, said fire department spokesman Steve MacDonald.

However, after three different hazmat team entries, all tests came back negative for anything hazardous. No one was injured.

These are students used to being in chemistry labs, so for them to smell a strange odor is of course cause for concern, MacDonald said. They did the right thing.

Crews had cleared out by around 9:15 p.m., and the building was turned back over to to the college.

BCs own safety team dealing with the lab on a daily basis will check it further, but everything on our end came back negative, MacDonald said. They have lab safety managers and a whole team of people who deal with things like this.

City Public Heath will also check the building again Monday morning, he said.

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Hazmat situation at Boston College chemistry lab over after fire department finds no danger

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