Ammonia Leak at Plant Contained
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A cloud of ammonia settled over an Oxnard plant early Friday morning when a safety valve at the company was left open, but the leak caused no injuries, authorities said.
An Oxnard resident called authorities to report a strong ammonia smell about 5:30 a.m., said Mike O’Malia, battalion chief for the Oxnard City Fire Department. Firefighters discovered a haze around Terminal Freezers Inc. at 908 3rd St. The company uses ammonia as a refrigerant, O’Malia said.
Because of the early hour, residents were still indoors sleeping, so authorities said it was not necessary to evacuate the area. Investigators found a valve had been left open, but did not know if the incident was accidental or if someone had tampered with the valve, O’Malia said.
Ammonia is a toxic chemical that when inhaled can shut down the respiratory system, O’Malia said.
“It can be very hazardous to human beings,” O’Malia said. “So it concerns us greatly when we have something like that uncontained.”
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