Ammonia leak controlled at N.Y. food plant

Oakfield, N.Y.-An undetermined – but large – amount of anhydrous ammonia leaking from the freezer system at the Allens Inc. food processing plant here Saturday, June 12, caused a voluntary evacuation of nearby residents, but emergency responders from Oakfield and surrounding communities had the situation under control in a couple of hours. Neither Allens plant manager Jeff Clark nor Oakfield volunteer fire chief Sean Downing returned calls about the incident, which caused no injuries even though several workers were inside the plant at the time. A large amount of ammonia reportedly was seen leaking from an exhaust vent on the roof when firefighters arrived at the scene. Firefighters closed off the streets around the plant and sprayed water on the building. “The main concern was to get the leak contained and shut off,” Downing told reporters. “It took a number of times going into the building because visibility was poor. (But) higher winds helped to dissipate it rather quickly,” Downing said. “Once we got things under control, the situation pretty much cleared itself.” Several firefighters received oxygen because of heat exhaustion. Reports that 1,500 residents were evacuated from their homes apparently were unfounded, and instead the Reverse 911 system was used to alert residents to stay inside their homes and close their windows. The Oakfield Fire Hall was opened for anyone who needed accommodations. “They went into the plant and found which valves to shut off with the assistance of Allens foods,” Downing said. “We sent in Hazmat teams along with the Allens foods Hazmat crew.”