Chemical exposure at Illinois nuclear plant leaves 8 people hospitalized, police say

BRYON, Ill. - Eight people were hospitalized after being exposed to some sort of chemical at the Byron Nuclear Plant, just southwest of Rockford, on Monday.

What we know:

The Ogle County Sheriff's Office said affected employees were taken to local hospitals for treatment, and all injuries were believed to be minor.

A spokesperson for Constellation, the company that runs the plant, said the workers were exposed to a "small amount of a common non-radiological chemical used in plant systems escaped a holding tank in the turbine building."

The sheriff's office said there was no threat to the public.

The spokesperson added, "Byron’s highly-trained response teams took appropriate steps to contain the leak quickly and ensure potentially impacted workers received appropriate medical attention.  While this event does not impact public health or safety, we will continue to keep Byron workers and community stakeholders informed."

The plant has two nuclear reactors that produce emissions-free energy. It’s located about 90 miles west of Chicago.

The incident was under review, according to police.