LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – The Lexington recycling center is back up and running after employees had to be evacuated Wednesday morning because of a container of muriatic acid that was found inside.
This only one day after employees were sent home early Tuesday because of another container of the same chemical.
"The workers found several containers – small, one-gallon containers of muriatic acid, also known as hydrochloric acid – while they were going through some of the bins that had been dropped off," says Battalion Chief Jordan Saas with the Lexington Fire Department.
"Last night, unfortunately after the incident, we found that these containers come in packs of four and we had only found three of them, which is why when they started up the process again this morning the fourth container was found and started gassing," explains Saas.
Saas says Wednesday morning's incident wasn't on the same scale as Tuesday’s, but muriatic acid can still be very dangerous.
"With an acid you have to neutralize it, so we want to make sure that we not only neutralize it, but that we get all of it."
Officials say that situations like this can put the health of their employees in jeopardy and so they want to remind everyone to make sure what you are recycling is, in fact, recyclable.