Hospitals back open after chemical spill

ST. LOUIS -- The second of two Missouri hospital emergency rooms shut down under quarantine due to a weekend chemical accident at an Illinois storage and mixing plant is back in business.

St. Anthony's Medical Center in south St. Louis County reopened its emergency department Sunday evening, a day after the chemical release at Ro-Corp. in East St. Louis, Illinois, sickened at least eight people.

Another St. Louis County hospital, SSM DePaul Health Center, reopened its emergency department earlier Sunday.

Both ERs were shut down after victims of the chemical spill sought treatment there.

Four victims remain hospitalized, including three at SSM DePaul.

Officials say the chemical appears to be nitroaniline (ni-tro-ANN'-ah-leen). That's a highly toxic material used in the synthesis of dyes, antioxidants, pharmaceuticals and gasoline.