Ammonia Leak on North University
By: Joe Griffin
Updated: June 22, 2007
Five blocks of North University Avenue were shut down Friday. At approximately 11:30 this morning, fire and HAZMAT crews were called to the 200 block of University Avenue.
Fire officials say dairy workers were in the process of transferring anhydrous ammonia from one tank to another when the toxic chemicals leaked emitting toxic fumes that covered the surrounding area.
Local businesses above Second Street were evacuated during the early afternoon.
"When we arrived,"said Chris Angerer the Inter Deputy Chief of Suppression LFD, "we had an anhydrous ammonia tank leaking anhydrous fumes, and we've been in the process of correcting that. If you breath it into your lungs, anhydrous means it does not have moisture in it. It will actually extract the moisture from your lungs."
There are no reports of anyone getting sick or injured from the accident.
University was reopened by 5 o'clock that afternoon.
Local businesses say the spill hurt their lunch business greatly.
Fire officials say dairy workers were in the process of transferring anhydrous ammonia from one tank to another when the toxic chemicals leaked emitting toxic fumes that covered the surrounding area.
Local businesses above Second Street were evacuated during the early afternoon.
"When we arrived,"said Chris Angerer the Inter Deputy Chief of Suppression LFD, "we had an anhydrous ammonia tank leaking anhydrous fumes, and we've been in the process of correcting that. If you breath it into your lungs, anhydrous means it does not have moisture in it. It will actually extract the moisture from your lungs."
There are no reports of anyone getting sick or injured from the accident.
University was reopened by 5 o'clock that afternoon.
Local businesses say the spill hurt their lunch business greatly.
