Update: Y-12 spill involved less than one gallon of flammable solvent

Note: This story was last updated at 3:34 p.m.

The chemical spill at the Y-12 National Security Complex on Tuesday morning involved less than one gallon of a flammable solvent, and the substance has evaporated, a federal official said Tuesday afternoon.

The spilled solvent was acetonitrile, and it’s used in chemical processing at Y-12’s Purification Facility, said Steven Wyatt of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

It spilled onto the floor at about 10:24 a.m. Tuesday. The cause is unknown. The spill was detected by sensors. There was no fire and no injuries.

Wyatt said the acetonitrile was not involved in uranium enrichment work at Y-12.

Y-12 said the spill was “well below reportable limits,” and there is no potential for health effects from the spill outside the building. Officials called the emergency response a “very conservative” one undertaken because of the nature of the spill.

At about 1:30 p.m., the plant said the Y-12 fire department has re-entered the facility, and the “situation is stable.”

The employees initially evacuated from the Purification Facility will be released to normal plant operations outside of it. Fewer than 10 people were in the building at the time of the spill, and none were in the immediate area, officials said.

See earlier story here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.