COLORADO SPRINGS — About 1,500 people were evacuated from the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs (UCCS) Library on Tuesday afternoon due to a Freon leak in the building.
According to UCCS, the leak happened at around 2 p.m. when contractors were working on the Air Conditioning system in the server room of the library. They tell News 5 that when they tried to put the valve back on, it failed, and Freon started spilling into the room.
The building then had to be evacuated, everyone got out safe and no one was injured.
According to the Colorado Springs Fire Department, when they arrived on the scene they initially decided to have the building air out naturally. However, doing this was taking too long so they decided to switch to a different plan of action which was to turn off the 15-pound tank that the Freon was leaking from.
After shutting it off, crews began the process of re-circulating the air with fans and other equipment.
25 Hazmat Personnel are currently on the scene going room to room with special meters that can test the air for different gases. CSFD estimates that it will take at least another hour for the building to be deemed "safe."
At around 5:30 p.m. people were allowed to enter the building to retrieve their belongings, but the building still remained closed.
This is a developing story.
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