Campus police say chemicals were found in USU dorm days before HAZMAT evacuation

LOGAN — Utah State University police officers responding to a fire alarm in a student housing building at around 8 p.m. Thursday found the entire first floor covered in a fog of hydrochloric acid, according to an initial police booking affidavit. The building was evacuated and one student was arrested.

Police say the catastrophe prompted "a large EMS response," with Logan fire and hazardous materials teams, USU police "and many other USU entities" also helping to evacuate the entire Mountain View Tower building, according to the affidavit.

Residents "were displaced from their living space for many hours in subzero temperatures," according to the affidavit. A university spokesperson, Amanda DeRito, released a statement saying the housing department found spaces in other buildings and on a shuttle bus for residents to wait out a safety investigation.

"All HVAC to the building was shut down soon after the fire alarm sounded," DeRito said.

"On exposure to air, hydrogen chloride forms dense white corrosive vapors," according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Brief exposure can cause irritation to eyes, nose, skin and inflammation of the respiratory tract. In high concentrations, more serious burns and respiratory problems can occur.

Joshua Peter Jager, a 20-year-old USU student, was arrested after he was decontaminated. He was charged Friday with causing a catastrophe recklessly, a class A misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, an infraction. He is being held at the Cache County Jail on a $2,500 bail.

Chemicals found days earlier

Jager had also set off a fire alarm on Monday, three days earlier, according to the booking report, and told responding police and fire personnel he had "been boiling water and vinegar to make potatoes."

When they entered his first-floor room, however, they "discovered a large amount of chemicals inside" — silver nitrate, potassium carbonate "and many more," the affidavit says — along with machinery, tools and "large quantities of batteries."

Suspecting drug- or bomb-making — accusations Jager denied — officers called explosive technicians to the scene, where they confiscated various chemicals, according to the booking report.

"Jager was warned to remove all chemicals from his room and cease any cooking in his dorm room," the affidavit says.

On Thursday, Jager was questioned at the USU police department for the chemicals. Court documents show he claimed he "received the chemicals years before and again claimed that he did not use any of the chemicals to create any sort of explosive or drug." The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force also participated in the interview, asking about the man's ties to "any terroristic organizations," but Jager denied all ties.

Jager was again warned his "conduct must immediately cease," the affidavit says, and the student said "he would call if he found any more chemicals" in his room.

Just hours later, Jager set the alarm off at the dormitory, again, according to the booking report, admitting he found more chemicals and "was attempting to "neutralize them." His actions created a large amount of hydrochloric acid in gaseous form to permeate the entire first floor of the building, police say.

"Due to the gaseous substance being on the first floor," police say all evacuating residents "were required to walk through the gaseous substance, creating a contamination issue," court documents say. DeRito wrote that, besides Jager, "no other students needed to be decontaminated."

Police estimate initial "clean-up and restoration costs were approximately $10,000 to $20,000, while labor and overtime costs have yet to be determined but will be substantial," the booking report says.

Jager made an initial appearance Thursday in 1st District Court.

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