Hazardous Material Crews Responded to Merck and Company

Hazardous material crews responded to Merck and Company in Cleveland this morning. Troy Spence with Bradley County EMA snapped these photos from the scene. He says a gasket on the flange broke. It started leaking an ether-based substance, which is extremely flammable... it formed this icy-looking substance. If left unattended, it could have exploded. "We went into the security office and looked at cameras," Troy Spence from Bradley County Emergency Management Agency said. "Merck knew where the leak was but they didn't have the crew to go in and fix it, so Bradley County fire crews went in and found the leak and it was where maintenance crews told it would be." HAZMAT and fire crews were on the scene for about an hour and half assessing the situation and containing the leak.