TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - While the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department says a search warrant executed on May 31 at the idled Advanced Clinical Diagnostics lab on Broadway was justified, Dr. Prakash Thombre says there is nothing dangerous inside his building, and he wants to be left alone to try to get his business up and running again.
Nearly a month after investigators put on full body suits and searched the building, the health department fulfilled a request to view the photos taken inside that day.
What they found included chemicals such as nitroferricyanide, a material that should be kept in a cool, well-ventilated area, but it's in a building without ventilation due to a lack of electricity.
"We have a hundred degree day in that building, you know it's going to get hot, what are those chemicals doing? Are they off-gassing, are they becoming more inert, that could be an issue too," says Eric Zgodzinski with the health department.
Also found inside were a propane tank and a gas can.
"Definitely some flammable materials. You see alcohol, methanol, we found some cancer-causing agents formaldehyde there," Zgodzinski said.
Dr. Thombre says his idled bio-tech lab poses no threat to the public.
"Most of these are biological chemicals, like sodium chloride, sucrose, sodium bicarbonate, acidic acid, vinegar that anybody eats in a salad."
While admitting his building could use some improvements, he is hoping the city will stop pressing him about his building.
"I'm the only person who comes here. It may be a little disorganized, but it can be cleaned up," Dr. Thombre said.
Coming to Thombre's defense is Councilman Mike Craig, saying "If this were a restaurant I'd be concerned, but it's not. It's a laboratory and that's the way the building has been used for the past 30 years".
A final report on the investigation is expected to be released soon.
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