Hazardous Chemical Scare Clears Tidewater's Top Floors

UPDATED 5:47 p.m. university statement, more updates

University Police, campus officials and emergency responders shut down the fourth and fifth floors of the Tidewater residence hall at approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Students reported being asked to leave the building Wednesday afternoon while hallways were closed off by uniformed police officers. Students also reported overhearing conversations about potassium nitrate, weapons and PVC piping from responders.

“Around three, the cops knocked on our door and asked us to leave, at which point we grabbed our stuff and went down the elevator,” said John Vorndran, a junior government and international politics major. “Somebody from housing said that there was a chemical spill.”

Assistant Chief of Police George Ginovsky, public relations officer for the Mason Police Department, stated that detectives were sent to the fifth floor of Tidewater hall as part of an ongoing investigation.

A hazmat team and the county fire department were called in and ensured the safety of the floor, declaring it all clear around 6:30 p.m., over three hours later.

It was found that the materials discovered in the unidentified Tidewater room were not related to the initial investigation that had led them to that location, according to Ginovsky.

Concentrated police activity was observed around Tidewater residence 503.

“They found PVC piping and wiring,” said Mark Turak, undeclared sophomore. “That’s what we heard.”

Ginovsky confirmed that police found potassium nitrate in the room, along with “other implements” and OC-type pepper spray, but “no real firearms.” Officers were spotted carrying out water bottles from the fifth floor and student Leon Langford, a junior majoring in English, stated that he had observed officials removing a computer from the building.

Ginovsky stated that, since there was nothing illegal, part of the investigation would be referred to the Dean of Students, while the police continued their original investigation.

Potassium nitrate is commonly known as saltpeter. It is best known for being used to create gunpowder and fertilizer. However, it has also been used to create amateur rocket fuel and fireworks.

Connect2Mason is continuing to investigate this story.

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UPDATE Thursday, 11:14 a.m.: The university released the following statement late Wednesday: 

Update on the Resolved Situation on the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University

""Earlier today, during the course of an unrelated law enforcement investigation of possible criminal activity by a student, a small amount of an unknown chemical substance was found in the student’s room on the fifth floor of Tidewater Hall on the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University. Fairfax County Hazardous Materials personnel responded to the scene and determined that the chemical—potassium nitrate—was not a threat. The substance has been removed from the area, the situation has been resolved and no charges have been filed. During the incident, Mason officials communicated with campus residents, and took necessary steps to ensure the safety of Mason’s students, faculty and staff. Out of an abundance of caution, public safety officials did clear the fourth and fifth floors of the residence hall for several hours but residents have been allowed to return to their rooms.

For more information, please contact Dan Walsch, Mason Press Secretary, at 703-629-3303."  

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UPDATE Friday, 5:47 p.m.: In an email correspondence Friday, Walsch told Connect2Mason that the OC-type pepper-spray Ginovsky mentioned in his statement was a pepper spray hand projector. He additionally said that the bottles in question were drinking water for fire personnel.

Walsch confirmed that PVC pipe was found in the same room as the potassium nitrate, but said that "it had no connection to the hazmat incident."