All-Clear After Liquid Oxygen Leak At Nassau Hospital
EAST MEADOW, NY (CBSNewYork) - Everything is back to normal at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, Long Island after an 11,000-gallon liquid oxygen tank leaked.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall On Long Island
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At first it looked like the hospital was going to be evacuated, but the evacuation was called off.
Some residents, however, who live near a side street were told by police to leave their homes as a precaution and also for a short period busy Hempstead Turnpike was shut down to traffic.
"It was a planned replacement of a tank and as it was being replaced one of the valves started leaking, and as a precaution we called the fire department and the police department to assist us," hospital spokesperson Shelley Lotenberg told WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall.
Liquid oxygen, if exposed to certain materials, can ignite or even cause an explosion.
"There is no danger to patients, employees or visitors," Lotenberg added in a statement.
