National laboratory evacuated after mishap

Workers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were ordered to evacuate after a chemical spill there Tuesday.

A department of energy spokesman said no hazardous chemicals were released into the environment and no one was seriously hurt.

The accident happened around 3 p.m. at the Oak Ridge, Tenn., facility, when a lab technician poured nitric acid into a container with other chemicals. The container shattered.

The lab technician was checked by medical workers and released. Nearly 200 workers were evacuated to a nearby auditorium before being told to go home for the day.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory