Keplinger Hall At Tulsa University Reopens

UPDATE -- The University of Tulsa evacuated Keplinger Hall at 2:45 p.m. Monday after TU personnel discovered a chemical mixture in a laboratory that had the potential to be explosive under certain circumstances.

No students were in the immediate vicinity of the lab when the discovery was made, and no injuries were reported. The situation was locally contained to a laboratory in the building, which houses the university’s College of Engineering and Natural Sciences.

The mixture discovered Monday is commonly used in chemistry labs, but TU officials notified authorities because it was unclear how long the materials had been stored in a lab that was used by a former employee. University officials are reviewing the incident, but foul play isn’t suspected.

For more information, please contact David Hamby, director of University Relations, at (918) 631-2309 or (918) 810-0182.

TULSA, OK -- At 2:30 the tulsa fire department was dispatched to a reported explosion at Keplinger Hall at 441 south gary at the university of tulsa campus. Upon investigation fire fighters found that no explosion had actually occurred. There was no explosion, no gas release and no injuries. After speaking to the professor who found the chemicals, he explained that he found two chemicals in two separate 1 beakers. The first chemical was tetrahydrofuran, a type of peroxide that will crystallize after a period of time and create a potentially volatile chemical reaction. The second chemical that was also found in the same size beaker was sodium metal which is flammable when it comes in contact with moisture. The fire department was called for precautionary reasons. At this time the tulsa fire department hazardous materials team and the tulsa police department bomb squad are in the process of removing and disposing of the chemicals. The entire hall was evacuated and will remain so until the danger is abated.