UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009---12:26 p.m.

Release from Sauk Prairie Police:

Unity Health Insurance, 840 Carolina Street Sauk City has sent employees home for the day due to the lingering odor of chlorine bromine solution from yesterday’s chemical spill.

Officials at Unity made a decision to close the facility as a precautionary measure after workers returned to the building this morning and were met with a chlorine smell similar to the smell of a swimming pool.

Unity officials are continuing to ventilate the building and a cleaning crew will be brought in to clean the entire building prior to workers returning.

Investigators are currently on the scene attempting to determine the cause of yesterday’s chemical spill.

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UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009 --- 11:30 a.m.

A worker at Unity Health Insurance in Sauk City confirms that workers were sent home this morning.

This comes after yesterday's evacuation. As we reported yesterday, employees began complaining about sore throats and eyes; 140 people in the building were evacuated. Police told us yesterday about one gallon of a chlorine bromide solution was spilled in a mechanical room in the building.

As of 11:30 a.m. Thursday, this message appears on the Unity Health Insurance website: "Unity office is closed today, Thursday, June 25. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. "

The Chief of Police tells NBC15 that he'll release more information later today.

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UPDATED: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 9:25 p.m.
REPORTER: Chris Woodard

An entire office building is evacuated and dozens are taken to the hospital after a chemical spill at Unity Health Insurance in Sauk City.

Employees began complaining about sore throats and eyes around one o'clock and all 140 people in the building were evacuated.

Police say about one gallon of a chlorine bromide solution was spilled in a mechanical room in the building. It was enough to send 39 people to the hospital.

Sauk Prairie Police Chief Gerald Strunz says, "Upon our arrival a majority of people had already evacuated. We have worked with Unity Health Insurance in previous years on mock disaster drills. We have worked very closely with them talking about procedures and they practice their procedure to a T today."

The chemical is used in the building's cooling system and police don't know what caused the spill but say there was a crew working on that cooling system earlier in the day.

The good news is that no one was seriously hurt.

But with almost a third of the people inside taken to the hospital the afternoon provided some very tense moments and some employees were pretty honest, saying yeah they were scared.

They smelled a strong chlorine odor, didn't know what it was and the next thing they knew their throats and eyes were burning.

It was even more scary for 6 pregnant women who were inside.

As the ambulances rolled in and out of Unity Health Insurance Wednesday a parking lot usually packed with employees became a staging area for paramedics and firefighters.

All traffic was sealed off and 39 employees who had been seated at their desks just minutes before were rushed to the hospital.

Employee Megan Wopat says, "I wasn't really in the building that long because everybody kind of shooed me out right away."

Wopat still has the hospital bracelet from her trip to the Emergency Room. She was worried for the health of two.

She says, "Someone stopped me and said oh my gosh your pregnant you need to get out of here, can't you smell that and I'm just like OK, whatever."

A chemical spill caused the evacuations and had many who were inside worried about how safe they were, especially when they saw their friends being rushed to the hospital complaining about soar or burning throats and eyes.

Employee Carri Breunig says, "There was a strong smell. It smelled of chlorine. There were people gathered around. We weren't sure what was happening."

With 39 employees on their way Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital went into lock down. Only those affected employees and medical staff were allowed inside. Non-emergency operations were shut down to make room for the incoming patients.

Dr. Miles Morgan says, "Most people were starting to improve by the time they arrived and in the short time that we started to see them here."

A few hours after the evacuations began all employees were released from the hospital and given some warning signs to monitor.

We still don't know what caused the spill and when we talked to Unity's CEO tonight it was a topic he refused to discuss, actually walking away. He said he was just happy his people were safe.

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UPDATED Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 3:45 p.m.

SAUK CITY, Wis. (AP) -- Authorities evacuated scores of workers from a business in Sauk City because of a chemical spill, and three dozen people were taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Sauk Prairie Police Chief Gerald Strunz says the spill that happened about 1 p.m. Wednesday involved a solution of chlorine bromine that's used as a cleaning agent in air-cooling towers.

The chief says about 140 employees were evacuated. The 36 taken to Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics had minor symptoms such as watery eyes and scratchy throats.

The fire department has been ventilating the building.

The cause remains under investigation.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 3:40 p.m.

From the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital website:

The final patient count for today's incident was 38. As a correction to earlier information -- symptoms were due to exposure to fumes from a chlorine-based solution from the cooling system.

Lockdown mode at the hospital has been cancelled and regular operations have resumed.

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UPDATED Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 3:21 p.m.

From the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital website:

Beginning at 1:50 p.m., 30 individuals from Unity Health Insurance of Sauk City were accepted into SPMHC's Emergency Room and treated for respiratory symptoms and burning eyes as a result of exposure to fumes from a chlorine-based cleaning solution.

Hospital staff and local physicians responded to treat patients. Everyone has been treated and released and advised of signs and symptoms to watch for.

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UPDATED Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 2:50 p.m.

From the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital website:

Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics is responding to a disaster situation. The latest updates for the public and the media will be posted to this website every half hour.

Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital is in lockdown mode. ONLY AFFECTED PATIENTS AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL ARE ALLOWED INTO THE BUILDING AT THIS TIME.

FAMILY MEMBERS: If you believe your family member has been transported to Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital, you may go to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 100 Oak Street, Prairie du Sac (located across street from SPMH) to check on their status.

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UPDATED Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 2:30 p.m.

Sauk Prairie Chief of Police Gerald Strunz says 36-employees have now been transported to the hospital, as a precautionary move.

Note: Sauk Prairie Police Department serves the Villages of Sauk City and Prairie du sac.

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Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 2:09 p.m.

A major business is evacuated in Sauk City in Sauk County.

Unity Health Insurance at 840 Carolina St. is closed right now. Approximately 140 employees are evacuated.

Sauk Prairie police tell us they were called to Unity for a chemical spill. It is a chlorine-based product.

At least five people have been transported for precautionary reasons to Sauk Prairie Hospital.

The Sauk Prairie Police Chief says the situation is still evolving and he's asking that people avoid the area at this time.

We have a crew on the way and we'll be updating this story on NBC15 news at 4 and on this story at nbc15.com.