IDAHO FALLS — Idaho Falls firefighters responded to a HAZMAT incident and a minor fire at Idaho National Laboratory facilities on Tuesday. 

The more serious of the two incidents occurred shortly after 2 p.m. in an INL building that is under construction at 775 University Boulevard. Idaho Falls Fire Department Division Chief Brad Pettingill said a 55 gallon barrel of sulfuric acid was accidentally punctured; the acid subsequently spilled in the basement of the building and splashed onto a construction worker’s arm. 

The man, whose name was not released, was treated at the scene and then transported by ground ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with what appeared to be minor burns, Pettingill said.

The building was evacuated while HAZMAT crews worked to contain the spill and ensure that the acid didn’t seep into the sewer system through a drain. Pettingill said they were able to secure the area and a specialized team is expected to go in and clean up the sulfuric acid. 

The second incident involved a minor fire at the Engineering Research Office Building, located at 2525 N. Fremont Ave. Pettingill said a maintenance worker spotted a fire in the area of an elevator that had recently been repaired. The worker shut off the power and used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. 

The fire, which may have been caused by the elevator’s motor, was already extinguished when firefighters arrived, Pettingill said, adding that the building had also been evacuated due to the fire alarm. 

The employees were able to return to their work roughly 30 minutes later, after firefighters confirmed that everything was OK, Pettingill said. 

Misty Benjamin, an INL spokesperson, said 663 people work in the Engineering Research Office Building, including Battelle Energy Alliance employees, subcontractors and visiting scientists and engineers among others. 

“The office building doesn't contain research laboratories or nuclear materials and the only lab space in the building is related to high performance computing,” Benjamin said.