Buildings reopen at U of M St. Paul campus after vapor leak

Three buildings on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus have reopened after a chemical vapor sent seven people to the hospital.

Campus police said 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 said 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 said their injuries were not critical.

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

Crews spent 2½ hours cleaning up.