By Marsha Thompson - bio | email
CLINTON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Mississippi Department of Revenue was back in business Wednesday after toxic fumes sent 19 workers to the hospital for observation last Friday.
The mysterious odors forced the closure of that huge state agency.
Some 300 workers were in the building when it was shutdown.
Those who didn't go to the hospital were quickly evacuated.
Dept. of Revenue spokeswoman Kathy Waterbury says a methane gas was detected coming from a foundation crack inside the building, but other factors contributed to the evacuation.
"It was not exactly a leak. It was measuring when they actually put the measuring device in the crack they measured what is believed was methane," said Waterbury. "If you had that just an inch off the floor it did not register. It was just with that crack, it was at that point our landlord needed to call in additional help."
Experts were called in from out of state Monday, according to Waterbury.
"And it was their determination that this building was clear of any dangerous toxic gases and it was safe for us to occupy it," said Waterbury.
According to the National Institutes of Health, by itself, methane is not toxic.
It is extremely flammable and can cause an explosion.
Numerous hardware stores, and others in the metro area, sell equipment that can detect natural gas and methane fumes inside your home.
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