SALEM — Six power plant workers were taken to Salem Hospital last week as a "precautionary measure" after a cleaning solution spilled inside the plant.
The spill happened Nov. 3, when a contracting crew cut a pipe at the base of a 30-gallon storage tank that had not been used in about a decade, according to Salem Harbor Station.
Some of the workers complained of feeling dizzy from the fumes, according to Jim Norvelle, a spokesman for Dominion, the plant owner.
"As a precautionary measure, six employees were taken to the hospital to be checked out," he said. "They were all released and they all returned to work" that same day.
The liquid that spilled was a "2 percent solution of water and chemicals" used to control algae and mussels that can grow in the cooling system that draws water from the harbor, the company said.
The cleaning solution contained bromine, hydrobromic acid, chlorine and hydrochloric acid, according to Norvelle.
The spill was contained inside the plant and did not get into the harbor, the company said.
Dominion said it reported the spill to the Salem Fire Department, but was not required to contact state or federal agencies. "The concentration of the chemicals in the solution was below the amount necessary to report the spill," said Norvelle.
A union official said the incident was "not serious."
"It was a strong smell, but it wasn't a very large discharge," said Rick Robey, president of IBEW Local 326. "...A lot of the guys said, 'I don't want to go (to the hospital),' but the company said, 'That's too bad, you're going.'"
Syrian Boy Speaks Out, Survives Family Massacre
Judge Tells John Edwards Jury: Keep Deliberating
House Rejects Sex-selection Abortion Ban
Bush, Obama on Stage Together Share Laughs
SpaceX Dragon Returns to Earth
Warming Gas Levels Hit 'Troubling Milestone'
Youngest-ever Speller Disappointed by Mistake
2 American Tourists Kidnapped in Egypt
Chen Guangcheng: 'Historic Transition' in China
New York City Seeks Big Drink Ban
Los Angeles Bans Plastic Grocery Bags
Raw Video: SpaceX Dragon Leaves Space Station
Police: Gunman Kills 5, Self in Seattle
Experts: Americans Must Prepare for Storm Season
Forest Fire Becomes New Mexico's Largest Ever
Montreal Police: Mailed Body Parts From Same Man
Facebook Expands Campus As Stock Shrinks
