Several students and teachers sickened by chemical fumes at Paulsboro High School were taken to the hospital today and the school has been evacuated.

A chemical leak at the nearby Paulsboro Refining Company is reportedly to blame.

16 people in total were transferred to Inspira Medical Center Woodbury earlier this morning, 6abc.com reports.

All students have been dismissed for the day and the school is being ventilated.

Leak issues emanating from the refinery allegedly began Monday. The Paulsboro Police Department has since issued a statement:

The Paulsboro Refining Company is aware of an ongoing odor issue in the community. The issue is coming from their tank farm. The company is working on strategies to eliminate the odor and will update as necessary. Residents may experience some nuisance odors and as a result, the company will have trained personnel in the community to conduct periodic air monitoring. They apologize for the inconvenience and are working to correct the problem. The police department, along with the local OEM and fire department, will continue monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of our residents and our community.

Air-testing was conducted on Monday and Tuesday and found to be satisfactory. However, elevated levels of a chemical were rediscovered today.

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