Worker Treated After Binghamton Verizon Building Hazmat Incident

One person was reported injured as the result of a chemical leak at a Verizon facility in downtown Binghamton.

City firefighters, including the hazardous materials team, were sent to the Verizon building on Henry Street around 10:30 a.m. Thursday after a fire alarm was received.

A fire department duty chief said the alarm had been activated by a leak of Freon refrigerant from an air conditioning system.

A problem developed with a valve as work was being performed on the system.

One man who had been working in the six-story building was treated at the scene for eye irritation. His eyes were flushed and he was not taken to a hospital. No other injuries were reported.

The R-22 refrigerant leaked on the third floor. The gas then traveled to the floor below.

Firefighters used fans to ventilate both floors. They used a meter to determine when the building had been cleared of the hazardous gas.

Verizon representatives could not be reached for comment on Friday afternoon.

The Binghamton fire department rarely responds to Freon links in commercial buildings. But there was a refrigerant leak last month in the basement of the Boscov's department store on Court Street. No injuries were reported in that incident but the store was evacuated as a precaution.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.