MILFORD, Del. - 68 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was released into the air in Milford Saturday morning from the Perdue processing facility, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
DNREC says the chemical is considered to be hazardous by the EPA. Officials say the release was due to a failed seal on an air exchanger around 1 a.m. at the facility at 255 North Rehoboth Blvd.
Perdue Farms says nine people were taken to a local hospital for treatment and released on Saturday.
DNREC says emergency units conducted air monitoring and that safe and necessary repairs were made by employees. They say the Perdue facility is returning to normal operations.
Officials say the incident is currently under investigation by DNREC. This comes days after Perdue Farms announced 6 pounds of ammonia were released at the same Milford facility.
In a statement to WBOC, Perdue says "The safety of our associates is our top priority. We are conducting a thorough review of the incident to understand the cause and prevent future occurrences, and we are cooperating fully with relevant authorities as part of that process."
Anhydrous ammonia is a colorless, highly-irritating gas with a pungent, suffocating odor, according to the CDC. The CDC adds low airborne concentrations of ammonia cam cause eye and nose irritation.
