A strong chemical-like odor that affected air traffic controllers in Virginia prompted an hours-long ground stop at multiple airports, including Baltimore’s.Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was among several airports where a ground stop was in effect since late Friday afternoon until about 8 p.m.A ground delay was then put into effect until at least 12:59 a.m. Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.Flight delays of more than an hour have been reported.What happenedThe FAA’s website listed the ground stop, citing an equipment outage. An FAA representative sent a statement to WBAL-TV 11 News at 6 p.m., referring to the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control (TRACON).”The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers.” According to fire officials in Fauquier County, Virginia, emergency crews were called around 5:46 p.m. for a potential hazardous materials incident at the FAA center in New Baltimore, Virginia.Officials said dozens of personnel responded, investigated and found a faulty building monitor that was being worked on by a contractor.More than 30 FAA personnel were evaluated before returning to work as the incident was mitigated, fire officials said.Authorities determined the scene to be safe and normal operations resumed.Fauquier County Fire Rescue System Chief Kalvyn Smith released a statement, saying:”Units responded to a reported potential chemical spill, with personnel experiencing mild symptoms from an odor in the building. A Hazmat Team from mutual aid partner Prince William County was requested. The Hazardous Materials team identified a faulty building monitor being worked on by a contractor. Over 30 FAA non-fire department personnel on site were evaluated, with no requiring medical transport.”The extent of the impactOther airports along the East Coast also impacted included Washington Dulles International, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Richmond International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport, Manassas Regional Airport/Harry P. Davis Field and others.The affected airports are under the same air traffic control center in Washington, D.C., and the ground stops are having ripple effects across the nation.Airport operations continuedTransportation Security Administration lines were still operating at BWI-Marshall through the ground stop.A BWI-Marshall representative told WBAL-TV 11 News at 8 p.m. that flights were resuming.”The carriers will work to resume regular operations. Travelers should check with their airlines for updated flight status information,” the airport’s statement said.This developing report will be updated.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PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

LINTHICUM, Md. —

A strong chemical-like odor that affected air traffic controllers in Virginia prompted an hours-long ground stop at multiple airports, including Baltimore’s.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was among several airports where a ground stop was in effect since late Friday afternoon until about 8 p.m.

A ground delay was then put into effect until at least 12:59 a.m. Saturday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Flight delays of more than an hour have been reported.

What happened

The FAA’s website listed the ground stop, citing an equipment outage. An FAA representative sent a statement to WBAL-TV 11 News at 6 p.m., referring to the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control (TRACON).

“The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers.”

According to fire officials in Fauquier County, Virginia, emergency crews were called around 5:46 p.m. for a potential hazardous materials incident at the FAA center in New Baltimore, Virginia.

Officials said dozens of personnel responded, investigated and found a faulty building monitor that was being worked on by a contractor.

More than 30 FAA personnel were evaluated before returning to work as the incident was mitigated, fire officials said.

Authorities determined the scene to be safe and normal operations resumed.

Fauquier County Fire Rescue System Chief Kalvyn Smith released a statement, saying:

“Units responded to a reported potential chemical spill, with personnel experiencing mild symptoms from an odor in the building. A Hazmat Team from mutual aid partner Prince William County was requested. The Hazardous Materials team identified a faulty building monitor being worked on by a contractor. Over 30 FAA non-fire department personnel on site were evaluated, with no requiring medical transport.”The extent of the impact

Other airports along the East Coast also impacted included Washington Dulles International, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Richmond International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport, Manassas Regional Airport/Harry P. Davis Field and others.

The affected airports are under the same air traffic control center in Washington, D.C., and the ground stops are having ripple effects across the nation.

Airport operations continued

Transportation Security Administration lines were still operating at BWI-Marshall through the ground stop.

A BWI-Marshall representative told WBAL-TV 11 News at 8 p.m. that flights were resuming.

“The carriers will work to resume regular operations. Travelers should check with their airlines for updated flight status information,” the airport’s statement said.

This developing report will be updated.