East Rutherford Chemical Spill Reported Off Rt. 17, Police Say

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Drivers are being told to avoid the area of Union Avenue/DuBois Street off Rt. 17 in East Rutherford due to a chemical spill that just occurred there Thursday afternoon, according to Rutherford police.

There is a chemical spill at the intersection of Union Ave. and DuBois Street, a high-traffic intersection right off Rt. 17 and near the Staples and Rt. 17 farmers' market. Traffic all along that stretch of Rt. 17 will likely be backed up because of it.

NBC 4 is reporting it's a chlorine leak from Diamond Chemical Co., located at 20 East Union Avenue at Dubois Street. The area immediately around there has been evacuated, NBC reported.

Police are telling residents to shelter in place, which means staying inside their homes or offices, and staying away from windows.

There is now a major police and hazmat response on site, according to an ABC 7 reporter on the scene. Workers at the chemical plant said they saw "a puff of smoke" and everyone immediately evacuated the building.

Police say they are monitoring the spill. There are no reported injuries.