All clear given in dangerous chemical spill in Hickory County
Posted: Tue 9:17 PM, Jul 05, 2016 |
Updated: Wed 5:26 AM, Jul 06, 2016
WHEATLAND, Mo. Emergency Management Director Carolyn Ream says a large amount of anhydrous ammonia spilled along County Road 189 just north of Highway 254. Wheatland Volunteer Fire Chief Herman Galli says the gas came from a farm tank behind a tractor. He says the heat may have played a factor in the leak.
Galli says some people were evacuated, and Ream says everyone else who lives near the scene were told to stay in their homes with their windows closed and air conditioners off.
The Springfield Fire Department's hazardous materials team was called in to assist with the leak, but about 11:00 p.m. the Wheatland Volunteer Fire Department told us the all clear had been given.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a toxic gas that can be fatal. It's commonly used as a fertilizer.