updated 7:56 p.m.

Fire officials say that natural sodium is not exactly baking soda but instead a substance used to make baking soda.

Updated 6:10 p.m. 4/30/2009

A leak of a substance that was thought to be a hazardous material has been ruled as natural sodium, which is also known as baking soda.

Officials said around 9 a.m. Thursday morning a school bus carrying three students and four adults was following a tractor trailer leaking a white powdery substance onto the bus on Route 95 near Rayon Drive in Parkersburg.

The school bus was on its way from Blennerhassett Middle School to Martin Elementary to use the pool there.

Officials said the school bus made it to Martin Elementary but around 10:30 a.m. on their way back from the school, one of the children complained of some possible symptoms of being exposed to a hazardous material.

"So at that time when they called the 911 center they said let's handle this in a normal precautionary manner like hazardous materials and that's why they directed it to Camden Clark Memorial Hospital in order to go through a decontamination material and that's also why they locked down Martin School," said Greg Smith of Camden Clark who spoke on behalf of the Parkersburg Police, Parkersburg Fire Dept., Wood County Schools, the MOV Health Dept., the Wood Co. 911 Center and CCMH.

So everyone in the bus was checked out at Camden Clark Memorial Hospital and Smith reports that no one there or at the school had any symptoms.

In addition to Martin Elementary, Smith said the Edgelawn facility where the bus had also been, was on lockdown until the substance was identified.

Officials said based on the witnesses description of the tanker and the tractor trailers like it that were on this route at that time, it was ruled to be a truck hauling baking soda.

Smith said there were trucks like the one described unloading a baking soda substance at Godby Field.

Updated 2:59 pm 4/30/09

Health officials have confirmed that the unidentified substance that seven people were exposed to Thursday morning was "natural sodium," commonly known as baking soda.

The substance is believed to have leaked out of a truck a Wood County School bus was following.

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Updated 2:06 pm 4/30/09

Wood County Schools Public Relations Director Sue Woodward says Martin Elementary no longer is under a lockdown. Students will be dismissing Thursday afternoon at the regular time.

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Updated at 1:32 pm 4/30/09

Captain Delmas Barker of the Parkersburg Police Dept. said the school bus was supposedly following a tractor trailer around 9 a.m. Thursday morning at the intersection of Rt. 95 East and Rayon Drive when some kind of material was coming out of the tanker.

Barker said the school bus carrying the students, aides, and driver continued to Martin Elementary School to use the pool there for physical therapy.

According to Barker, the bus left Martin Elementary and was on its way back to Blennerhassett Middle School when some people on the bus mentioned they were experiencing shortness of breath and eye irritation.

Police are searching for the tanker and believe it may have continued onto I-77. They are unsure if it went north or south but law enforcement up and down the interstate has been contacted to try to find this tanker.

Police ask that if you see a dull silver bulk tanker with pipes running underneath it with a dark blue or black tractor pulling it call the department at 304-424-8444.

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Updated at 12:44 pm 4/30/09

Greg Smith, a spokesman of Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital, said people at Martin Elementary School and at the hospital are not experiencing symptoms.

Smith said there were three students, three aides, and one driver on the bus.

Sue Woodward of Wood County Schools says the bus drove through the 2100 block of Camden Ave. around 9 a.m. Thursday morning from Blennerhassett Middle School to Martin Elementary. The students, who have special needs, were apparently on their way to physical therapy.

Woodward said the bus and the students went to Martin Elementary and were on their way back to Blennerhassett Middle School close to 10:30 a.m. That's when the bus was stopped by officers and alerted of a possible hazardous material that spilled on Camden Ave.

Woodward said the bus and all of the people on it were taken to CCMH as a precautionary measure. She also said it appeared no one was having symptoms but they took them to the hospital as a precaution especially since the students may not be able to relay to them whether or not they were suffering from any symptoms.

Woodward said Martin Elementary has been on lockdown since the people on the bus had been to Martin Elementary after they drove through this area. Again Woodward said this is another precautionary measure.

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Updated 12:11 pm 4/30/09

Camden Avenue is once again open in both directions.

The Wood County School bus and possibly several students involved in a possible hazmat incident at 11:00 am are being evaluated and decontaminated at Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital.

Camden-Clark says there is no need for parents to come to the hospital. However, if parents insist on coming to the hospital, they should come to the front desk.

According to Wood County School Public Relations Sue Woodward, Martin Elementary is on lockdown because at least one person in the school bus incident returned to Martin Elementary.

We will have another live update on this breaking story at the end of WTAP News at Noon.

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Original: 11:40 am 4/30/09

As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a portion of Camden Avenue in Parkersburg is closed at this time as emergency crews respond to a possible hazmat sitiation involving a Wood County school bus.

Emergency crews have responded to the corner of Camden Avenue and Neal Street just before 11:00 a.m.

Wood County Schools public relations director Sue Woodward tells WTAP-TV that there are at least two students on the school bus. They were returning from a field trip at Martin Elementary.

WTAP has crews on the scene and will bring you the latest on this developing story on WTAP News at Noon.

We also are streaming live coverage at this moment on our web channel. Click on the "WTAP Live Stream" link on the right hand side of the home page.