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Sammy Linebaugh reportingA buildup of chemicals at a janitorial shop causes quite a scare in Sugar House.
Sgt. Dennis McKone Salt Lake City Fire Dept. "Got into that void space between the ceiling and the floor. Finally found the pipe chase to drop below."
Three shops in the area were evacuated. Now, the owner of the janitorial shop could be in trouble.
This morning,officials with the Building and Housing commitee will be out at that janitorial shop to investigate. They'll likely decide if the owner should be held responsible for not cleaning up the potentially hazardous chemicals.
Those three shops that were evacuated will be open for business this morning. But hazmat crews are still testing the substance, trying to figure out what type of risk the chemical leak posed to the community.
It all started when an employee at a coffee shop at 1100 East and 2100 South noticed a strange smell and saw liquid dripping from the ceiling. Fire crews arrived and called out the hazardous material team because of the odor.
Hazmat teams opened up some flooring at Executive Janitorial Supply, which is located above the coffee shop. They discovered a mixture of chemicals had made it's way down a pipe chase and was seeping into the coffee shop's ceiling.
Sgt. Dennis McKone/ Salt Lake City Fire Dept.: "What the hazardous material team is figuring it's been stuff that's gathered over a period of time with spills and stuff."
Hazmat crews filled at least one 5-gallon container with the liquid. Again, they're trying to figure out what chemicals were in the mixture.
No one reported any ill symptoms because of the spill. But investigators today will be looking into whether the owner of the janitoral supply store should be held responsible.
