Update: Hazardous Materials Leak Contained Near Eames Complex

In order to reduce the potential for exposure, many students, staff, and faculty were unable to access their vehicles if they were parked in the Northwest portion of the parking lot until the incident was fully contained.

The area has been secured, and there were no injuries as a result of the leak. 

The leak was discovered by ISU employees in the process of inventorying donated neutron detectors located in shipping containers outside the building. A detector was in poor condition, causing a boron leak. Employees were in full protective gear and trained to handle hazardous materials, so the exposure risk from the leak was low. 

A safety perimeter was immediately established by the Pocatello Fire Department and ISU Public Safety.  Members of the Hazardous-Materials Region 6 Response Team were brought in to assess the situation and secured the leaking detector. Remaining detectors are stored in their original shipping containers in the Conex storage container awaiting final disposition. 

A hazardous materials incident like this can be very complicated and requires additional support from our local and state partners in order to ensure the safety of the impacted community as well as the first responders. We appreciate the patience of the ISU community and the assistance of the Pocatello Fire Department and Hazardous-Materials Region 6 Response Team as we handled a difficult situation.