UPDATE: Hazard contained to laboratory in 'low

Urbana Fire Department personnel on the scene of today's hazardous material release on Springfield Avenue in Urbana.

NOTE: Urbana Fire Department battalion chief Clint Weidert said that the hazardous material release was a "pretty low-level event."

Upon arriving on the scene, fire department personnel found that "less than a gallon" of a chemical had been spilled in a lab in the Engineering Sciences Building. Someone in the lab had already placed spill pads to prevent the chemical from entering any drains.

Weidert said the ventilation system handled any vapors and that the hazard never went beyond the laboratory.

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NOTE: An Illini alert sent out at 4:28 p.m. said that the hazard appears to be contained to a laboratory in the Engineering Sciences Building. Avoiding the area is still recommended.

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URBANA — An Illini alert sent out at 3:22 p.m. said "hazardous materials" have been released at 1101 Springfield Ave., U., site of the Engineering Services Building.

The alert says to avoid the area due to possible inhalation risk.

The Urbana Fire Department is on the scene. Cleanup is in progress.

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