Vial of old chemical causes scare at EKU

Local News

July 30, 2010

Emily Burton Register News Writer The Richmond Register Fri Jul 30, 2010, 08:59 AM EDT

RICHMOND — A small vial of forgotten chemicals brought out three police units, including the Lexington-Fayette County Bomb Squad, at Eastern Kentucky University on Thursday evening.

Staff cleaning Miller Hall, an office building, discovered a small vial of crystallized picric acid at about 4:40 p.m., according to Marc Whitt, associate vice president for public relations. The acid was discovered in the office of a retired chemistry professor. In its crystalline form, picric acid can be explosive when exposed to flame or heat. It is typically used while in its more stable liquid form to help stain bacteria, while the solid form is often used to make ammunition and explosives.

Whitt said staff called the EKU police, who contacted the Kentucky State Police. At their recommendation, the bomb squad was called.

The vial of acid was removed from the building at 5:20 p.m., and taken to a field normally used for fire safety training located behind the Department for Criminal Justice Training on the EKU campus, where it was successfully detonated, he said.

There were no injuries to any of the first responders, or to anyone inside the building.

At no time was the EKU campus completely closed. However, Miller Hall was evacuated as was the area surrounding the building. Miller Hall was declared safe by 6:30 p.m. and was re-opened, after EKU performed a thorough sweep of the building, Whitt said,

University drive was already closed because it is being resurfaced, Whitt said, so no vehicles were moved.

The campus was largely vacant because most professors, staff and students have not yet arrived back for the start of the fall semester, he said.

Classes will begin as scheduled, he said.

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