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No serious injuries in anhydrous leak
The low-lying fog and an unpredictable breeze complicated the approach to the anhydrous ammonia tank that spewed an ominous white cloud of stinking, burning vapor over South McCook early Sunday morning.
McCook Police Chief Ike Brown said this morning his officers are investigating the incident as vandalism or criminal mischief.
About 6:45 a.m., Sunday, police officers alerted neighbors to shut off air conditioners and close doors and windows as Frenchman Valley Farmers Co-op personnel and emergency crews determined which trailer-pull nurse tank was creating the problem at Frenchman Valley's fertilizer plant on a service road near the railroad tracks in South McCook.
Anhydrous ammonia is a clear, colorless gas with an acrid, wet-diaper smell. It is shipped as a liquid under pressure. Long-term exposure to low concentrations or short-term exposure to high concentrations will result in frostbite-type burns and/or inhalation difficulties.
It is also a key ingredient in the recipe for the illegal drug methamphetamine.
"I was gulping like a fish, it hurt so bad," said a firefighter at the site of the second command post, set up after the wind shifted quickly and blew the vaporous cloud over the first command post. "Now I know what a really bad asthma attack feels like," the firefighter, Monica Horkey, said.
Although several on the scene complained of watering eyes and running noses, no one was seriously injured.
"Anhydrous ammonia is irritating and corrosive," said McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham. "It seeks moisture," he said, "and draws all moisture and oxygen out of the body."
"It burns your lungs," said Red Willow County Sheriff Gene Mahon. "It can kill."
Mark Friehe, manager of Frenchman Valley, said the weather conditions made the approach to the tank difficult. He said the early-morning fog trapped the anhydrous cloud close to the ground, and shifting breezes pushed the cloud south and southwest and then toward west and the north.
"Without the fog, the cloud would have lifted," Friehe said. "Adding to the difficulty was the fact we didn't have a wind or a breeze from a consistent direction."
"It was hard to approach the tank because of the unpredictable breeze," Friehe said.
Friehe said plant manager Doug Karre and employee Randall Rathe were finally able to approach the 1,000-gallon tank from the upwind side. They went in together, Friehe said, and shut off the valve.
"It was wide open," Friehe said, "and we're not sure why."
"It was a small volume (of anhydrous ammonia) and a big cloud for a bit," Friehe said.
Friehe said his personnel has seen evidence in the past of possible tampering with the portable nurse tanks, of someone wanting the product illegally.
"Most generally, they'll drip the liquid out of a hose," Friehe said. "But that's still very dangerous, and can cause severe burns."
Rathe said he has been called in on minor leaks in the past. "There's never been one I couldn't fix myself," he said.
Police Chief Brown said his officers' investigation indicates the valve was turned on intentionally.
"This was an act of criminal mischief resulting in anhydrous being released into the atmosphere," Brown said, and a $600 loss of product to Frenchman Valley.
Harpham said passersby spotted the white cloud forming near FVC and alerted the McCook police department at 6:37 a.m. Several more phone calls came into the police department re-garding the same white cloud, he said.
Harpham said McCook police alerted South Street residents as the cloud drifted south and southwest. (Mc-Cook's emergency sirens were sounded later to alert the community to listen to their radios and television for news as the wind shifted and the cloud blew toward the north.)
The area was isolated, traffic was diverted, and FVC personnel, Red Willow County's hazardous materials response team and City Manager John Bingham were alerted.
With backup from hazmat personnel, Karre and Rathe shut down the tank's valve and the cloud dissipated.
Walking back onto the command site, Rathe flashed a thumbs up at 7:52 a.m.
At that point, Harpham said, the area was turned over to law enforcement officers for their investigation.
Jeannette Reed, president of the McCook Humane Society, said no dogs or cats were injured by the cloud that drifted southwest in the direction of the animal shelter.
Reed said this morning she worried that the bank of exhaust fans -- designed to pull fresh air over the kennels for disease control -- would suck the anhydrous vapor into the kennel.
"Although the smell was heavy inside the kennels when we got there, the vapor hadn't settled over the dogs," Reed said, "We opened the doors and windows to keep the air moving, and no animals were affected."
Harpham said he appreciated the help of FVC personnel, the hazmat team, Red Willow County Emergency Management, and law officers from the McCook Police Department, Red Willow County Sheriff's Department and the Nebraska State Patrol. "It was great to see everyone come together to work through this," Harpham said.
Harpham and Friehe agreed this incident would provide an excellent opportunity to enhance response and provide specialized anhydrous ammonia training for firefighters and emergency personnel.
It would also be beneficial to familiarize emergency responders with FVC's facilities, Friehe said.