Campus Alert Archive
HSU

A Strange Odor in Reynolds Science Center Turned Out to Be a Meth Lab

ARhazmatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A chemical spill in Room 304 of Henderson State University's Reynolds Science Center on the night of October 7, 2019, produced a strong odor that forced the building's evacuation and the cancellation of classes the next day. A hazmat response drew the Arkadelphia Fire Department, Arkansas State Police, the State Crime Laboratory and an Arkansas National Guard civil support team. The investigation ultimately revealed that two chemistry professors had been manufacturing methamphetamine in the lab.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Henderson State University
Public Masters · AR
~3,600 studentsReddie Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction153 chars
Reddie Alert: Reynolds Science Center is being evacuated due to a chemical odor. Avoid the building until further notice. Emergency crews are responding.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed wording marked unconfirmed; Henderson State's emergency-notification archive is not publicly retrievable, so exact alert text could not be verified.
The alert treats the event as an unknown chemical odor, which is exactly how it was perceived at the time; only the later criminal investigation revealed the source was an illicit meth operation.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction186 chars
Reddie Alert: Classes in Reynolds Science Center are canceled today and relocated while hazmat teams identify the chemicals involved. Updates will be sent as the investigation continues.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed wording marked unconfirmed; reflects the substance of HSU's class-cancellation messaging.
The extended response — including an Arkansas National Guard civil support team called from Camp Robinson — underscores how a campus hazmat alert can escalate well beyond a routine spill when the chemicals cannot be quickly identified.
Context

Background

On the night of October 7, 2019, a chemical spill in Room 304 of Henderson State University's Reynolds Science Center in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, produced an odor that the next morning forced the building's evacuation and class cancellations. KATV reported the closure, and the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network later published a detailed account showing the response grew to include the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the Arkadelphia Fire Department, Arkansas State Police, a State Crime Laboratory chemist and an Arkansas National Guard civil support team. The investigation revealed that chemistry professors Terry David Bateman and Bradley Rowland had been manufacturing methamphetamine in the lab; Bateman resigned and Rowland was fired. The building partially reopened October 29, 2019. Henderson State's emergency-alert text is not publicly archived, so the alert wording above is reconstructed and marked unconfirmed.
Analysis

Key Findings

A routine-seeming chemical odor at a small Arkansas public university escalated into a multi-agency hazmat response, including an Arkansas National Guard civil support team
The underlying cause — an illicit meth lab run by two chemistry professors — was unknown at the time the campus was evacuated
Reynolds Science Center was evacuated and classes relocated; the building partially reopened roughly three weeks later with no reported injuries
Henderson State's alert archive is not publicly retrievable, so alert text is reconstructed and the case is logged at medium confidence
Outcome
Reynolds Science Center was evacuated and closed; classes were relocated. Chemistry professors Terry David Bateman and Bradley Rowland were later arrested on meth-manufacturing charges. The building partially reopened October 29, 2019. No injuries were reported.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Chemical spill closes science center at Henderson State University - KATV
    katv.com
  2. News
    The mess in Room 304: 'Breaking Bad' at Henderson State - Arkansas Nonprofit News Network
    arknews.org
  3. News
    Former Arkansas chemistry professor pleads guilty to making meth in college lab - UALR Public Radio
    ualrpublicradio.org
  4. Source
    Henderson State University - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
hazmatarkansasemergency-notificationevacuationchemicalmeth-labscience-building
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion