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Officials: 18 Workers Exposed To Unknown Material At Delaware Research Facility

WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) -- Emergency crews responded to a hazmat situation Saturday at a research and development facility in New Castle County, Delaware.

It incident took place about 11 a.m. at the DuPont Experimental Station along the 200 block of Powder Mill Road in Wilmington.

Officials said 18 workers there became exposed to a rust-colored material released from ductwork while contractors were conducting remediation work in a lab at the station.

They say that the contractors had been wearing appropriate personal protective equipment at the time of the exposure and according to safety protocols, were evacuated from the area.

An emergency response team was already on site and quickly responded, along with first responders from New Castle County.

Authorities says all of the workers were removed from the building and sent through a decontamination area.  They were then taken to local hospitals for evaluation.

Officials says none of the workers has shown any symptoms of chemical exposure and many have already been released.

DuPont officials did not immediately confirm what type of material the workers were exposed to, but said there was no threat of exposure to the community.

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