An Oct. 17 anhydrous ammonia leak on the Magellan ammonia pipeline about eight miles north of Tekamah, Neb., has claimed the life of one local farmer and resulted in the evacuation of approximately 40 residents and the closure of area roads and highways.
Phillip W. Hennig, 59, of Tekamah was reportedly overcome by ammonia fumes while investigating the leak late on Monday. According to news outlets, the leak was first reported at 9:20 p.m. by local residents who smelled ammonia. Burt County emergency responders were on the scene at 9:40 p.m. and evacuated approximately 40 people in 23 homes from a two-mile radius around the site. Area roads were also shut down, including U.S. 75 between Tekamah and Decatur, Neb., which was expected to remain closed until Oct. 19.
Hennig’s body was recovered near the leak site at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday by the Nebraska State Patrol’s Hazmat team, working with Tekamah Fire and Rescue. Hennig reportedly lived about a quarter-mile from the site, and a 911 caller shortly after 10 p.m. said a man was visible walking near the area of the leak. No other injuries were reported.
The cause of the leak is still undetermined. A spokesman for Magellan Midstream Partners of Tulsa, Okla., said the section of the eight-inch pipeline where the leak occurred has been shut off and the remaining ammonia allowed to slowly leak out before repair work begins. Local reports said 25 Magellan employees and 21 contractors were at the scene, in addition to state and federal regulators, including investigators with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Magellan issued two media advisories on Oct. 18. The first at 7:45 a.m. confirmed the leak and the fatality, and stated that federal and state agencies had been notified and that company representatives, emergency responders, and environmental crews were on site. The second advisory at 4:20 p.m. said efforts were still underway to “isolate and secure” the section of pipe where the leak occurred, and that air quality readings were improving but were not yet safe to allow residents to return to their homes.
“We express our deepest sympathies over the tragic death of the local resident last night,” said Magellan CEO Mike Mears.
Local reports said the displaced residents are staying at the Decatur Community Center or with relatives and friends. Magellan said it is “currently working with affected residents to cover all relevant expenses associated with the evacuation with the intent of returning our neighbors safely to their homes as soon as possible.”
Magellan’s ammonia pipeline stretches 1,100 miles from Borger, Texas, to Mankato, Minn., with multiple terminals located in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. “Our immediate focus is to eliminate ammonia emissions, safely secure the site, and reopen the local roads,” the company said on Oct. 18. “Operations of our ammonia pipeline will remain suspended until all repairs can be safely made. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.”