Acid spill leads to Mound House plant evacuation

Hazardous material crews from Lyon County and Carson City were called to clean up an acid spill at a Mound House plant on Friday.

Lyon County Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Page said a chemist at Niotan Inc. on Bruce Way accidentally spilled two liters of hydrochloric acid just before 11 a.m.

The spill caused the evacuation of employees from the building, but did not disrupt surrounding businesses, he said.

Members of the Quad County Haz Mat Team responded and cleaned up the spill. No one was injured and employees were allowed back in the building at 1:30 p.m., Page said.

Hydrochloric acid is highly corrosive and can cause death if inhaled or swallowed. Persons with pre-existing skin disorders or eye disease may be more susceptible to the effects of this substance.

Niotan uses the acid in the production tantalum powder for use in making capacitors for cell phones and other high-end electronic devices.