Palestine City Hall Open, PD Still Closed after Chemical Spill

PALESTINE – A chemical spill Tuesday closed Palestine’s city hall and the police department. City Hall is now open, but the police department will remain closed until further notice. The spill happened when a shelf in the evidence storage room gave way. An unknown quantity of amido black, a mixture of luminol and methanol used in crime scene investigation, spilled onto the floor. The spill caused the evacuation of both city hall and the police department. According to the Hazmat clean up team on site, the chemical did not warrant any additional assistance from the state or federal government. The police department is working with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department to provide service and dispatching. All emergency calls are operable at this time. Three employees were taken to Palestine Regional Medical Center for observation. All other employees near the scene were treated on scene and released.