AUGUST 6, 2015
POLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --
POLAND, Maine (WGME) -- An ammonia leak was detected at the original Poland Spring bottling plant off Spring Water Road in Poland at around 10:30 a.m. Hours later, that ammonia was still leaking as crews tried to pinpoint the source of the leak.
Emergency crews including several HAZMAT teams responded to the scene. The ammonia leak was in the far end of the plant, forcing the evacuation of one of the buildings used to store ammonia.
"We evacuated, don't know the head count, but it was in excess of over 100 employees I'm sure." Poland Fire Chief Mark Bosse said.
Poland Town Manager Brad Plante said that four employees went to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston for evaluation and treatment, two by ambulance and two drove on their own.
Plante says all four went as a precaution and he thought they were all fine, even though the fire chief says a high concentration of ammonia leaked and got into the building's ventilation system.
"The readings were very, very high,” Bosse said. “It pegged our meter at over 100, so that was our tell sign to get out."
At 1:45 p.m., a special COBRA team from Androscoggin County, trained to deal with leaks like this, arrived at the plant. Two hours later, the leak was plugged. The problem was a valve failure.
"It could have been a much worse situation,” Bosse said. “A lot of precautions were taken for various reasons, and I think things were handled very well."
The leak has been contained and the plant is getting ready to get back into production.
////////-------------------/////
Production at the Poland Spring bottling plant in Poland was shut down most of the day after an ammonia leak was detected at the plant at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
Nearly one hundred employees were evacuated. Poland Fire Chief Mark Bosse said a relief valve let go and ammonia leaked into the ventilation system.
Two employees reported headaches and were taken to Central Maine Medical Center to be evaluated. Both were treated and released.
Fire crews from several communities were at the plant and special response teams were called in to try and find the source of the leak and shut it down. Late Thursday afternoon, the plant was given the all clear and employees were allowed back in the building.
In a statement Poland Spring said all of its water currently in the marketplace was unaffected by the ammonia leak and is safe to drink.