Chemical leak leads to investigation at AmeriWater facility in Vandalia

VANDALIA — No one was hurt after a chemical leak was reported at a Vandalia business early Tuesday morning.

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News Center 7’s Mason Fletcher will have the latest on the leak and the impact it’s had on neighboring businesses tonight on News Center 7 at 5:00 and 6:00.

Around 3:43 a.m., Vandalia fire crews were dispatched to the 3300 block of Stop 8 Road on reports of a fire after a police officer found smoke coming from a building.

>> PHOTOS: Investigation underway after Hazmat incident called at AmeriWater facility in Vandalia

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Vandalia Fire Chief Chad Follick said after arriving on the scene, they learned the smoke coming from the building was vapor from a hydrochloric leak coming from a tank in the building.

“Actually, a really good thing that our police officer was astute enough on patrol to find it,” Follick said.

Police on the scene told News Center 7 the leak was at the Ameriwater building.

The regional hazmat team was called to the scene. After several hours, the problem was properly assessed, and the leak was stopped.

No one was in the building at the time of the leak, and no injuries were reported, according to Follick.

Due to the hazmat situation, crews isolated an area south of the scene to keep traffic out of the area. They kept part of Stop 8 Road closed for more than seven hours on Tuesday.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was also called to the scene. Follick told News Center 7 that there is no threat to the environment or the people who live and work around the impacted business.

The cause of the leak is under investigation.

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