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Last modified: Saturday, August 8, 2009 11:11 AM CDT
Fumes in Fargo may be from old tank
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — An assistant Fargo fire chief says fumes that hospitalized workers at a construction site in downtown Fargo probably came from an old waste tank.
Assistant Fire Chief Dean Meyer says the tank is from a car dealership that’s been closed for nearly 40 years.
The site was being prepared to be resurfaced as a parking lot between two North Dakota State University halls when the workers were overcome by fumes Friday. MeritCare Hospital said it treated five patients.
Fire officials thought earlier that methane was creating the odor, but they said tests found only trace amounts of methane.
Assistant Fire Chief Steve Balstad said work has been halted at the site.
Meyer said it once was common for car dealerships to dispose of such chemicals such as oil and antifreeze in underground tanks. He says investigators will dig at the site Tuesday to try to find the waste tank.
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