An evacuation is ordered at a Santa Maria packaging plant because of an ammonia leak.
200 employees were evacuated from the Frozsun Foods/Sunrise Growers facility on South Blosser at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
Fire investigators said a faulty valve released 100 pounds of ammonia into the air, sending one person to the hospital with breathing problems and an upset stomach.
"Usually it's an irritant of the respiratory tract. But if you inhale it, it could cause some eye irritation. But it really affects the respiratory and breathing," said Santa Maria Fire Department investigator Larry Comerford.
20 others were treated by medics at the scene.
The leak was repaired shortly after, and most of the workers returned to work within an hour and a half. |
