In 2003, a student’s discovery of 8.5 fluid ounces of elemental mercury in an unlocked chemistry cabinet forced a high school in Washington, D.C., to close for 35 days. The cleanup cost more than $1 million.

In August 2008, a school janitor spilled two gallons of hydrochloric acid at the Edison Technical and Occupational Education Center in Rochester, N.Y. One employee inhaled the fumes and had to be taken to the hospital for evaluation, according to the American Chemistry Council.

For more on this story, see the April 9 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.