Fifteen to 20 gallons of hydrochloric acid leaked from a tractor-trailer at the Old Dominion Freight Lines building Tuesday morning in Elkridge after metal in the rig punctured three 55-gallon drums holding the hazardous material.

No one was hurt and no one complained of feeling faint or dizzy, said Capt. M. Sean Kelly, a spokesman for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.

Firefighters received an alert at 9: 43 a.m. and had the spill under control by 11: 33 a.m., Kelly said. The tractor-trailer and the building, 7070 Brookdale Drive, are owned by Old Dominion Freight Lines, he said.

Firefighters evacuated the building and surrounding areas until the spill was under control.

About 25 firefighters and six to eight employees from the Maryland Department of the Environment arrived to handle the spill, Kelly said.

Pub Date: 9/24/98