- Chemical Health & Environmental Management Information System -
Associated Press
Anhydrous Ammonia Leak Causes Brief Evacuation of Small Town
| Location | Date of Incident | ||
| Old Monroe, MO, United States | 4/8/2001- 6:00 AM | ||
| Date of Report Update | |||
| 4/10/2001 - 11:35 AM | |||
| Incident Types | Location Types | ||
| - Release to Environment | Fixed Facility | ||
| Evacuations | Injuries | Fatalities | |
| 230 (Estimate) | 5 | None Reported | |
| Chemicals Involved | |||
| - Ammonia (anhydrous) | |||
| Description or Latest Development | |||
|
----- The anhydrous ammonia leak apparently was caused by the attempted theft of the chemical by methamphetamine makers Sunday morning. The leak was reported early Sunday morning at a fertilizer plant in the town 45 miles north of St. Louis. The 230 residents of the town were evacuated and Missouri Route 79 was closed. The sheriff's department said residents were allowed to return home and the highway was reopened about 8:30 a.m. Deputies said illicit drug makers apparently were stealing the liquid from an agricultural supply firm when it began leaking and sent a toxic cloud over the town. Anhydrous ammonia is one of the ingredients used to make methamphetamine. The fumes sent five firefighters to hospitals with breathing difficulty. All five were treated and released. No
arrests have been made in connection with the incident. |
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| Sources (* indicates the original source) | Source Details | ||
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04-08-01 2137EDT | ||