THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504160071
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANIE BRYANT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
About a quarter-mile of East Princess Anne Road at Norfolk Industrial Park was blocked off for more than six hours Saturday after ammonia leaked at United Refrigerated Services Inc.
Firefighters responded about 8 a.m., after employees of the nearby Kramer Tire Co. showed up for work and reported smelling the ammonia.
The odor was so strong that firefighters said they could smell it as soon as they arrived. About 50 emergency workers were called to the scene, including the hazardous-material team. Seven hazardous-material specialists from Portsmouth also responded.
Kathy Bulman, public information officer for the city, said United Refrigerated Services stores food for the military.
No one was in the building when the leak was reported. No injuries were reported and firefighters said there was probably no damage to the building or food, which was stored in freezers in another area of the building. But the state Department of Agriculture is expected to do an inspection Monday.
The leak was classified as a ``serious'' incident because of the potential hazard of anhydrous ammonia, a nonflammable gas used as a refrigerant, among other things. It can cause burns to the skin, frostbite or can be fatal if inhaled or absorbed through the skin, according to materials Bulman provided.
Emergency command stations had to be moved from the parking lot out to the street after winds shifted and started to cause breathing difficulty for emergency workers.
Although no evacuation was required for surrounding areas, employees of Kramer Tire were asked to stay in a contained room for about 45 minutes.
Hazardous-material team members entered the building three times. Initially, two members and the general manager of United Refrigerated Services donned 10-pound white entry suits with 45-minute air bottles and went into the building to close off the valve to a leaking pipe.
Kevin Wallace, the general manager, said he went in because he was familiar with the plant and had been shown what to do in case of an emergency.
``It was an experience,'' he said. ``I wouldn't want to do it all the time.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/Staff
Norfolk firefighters from the hazardous-material team are rinsed off
after entering the building of United Refrigerated Services in
Norfolk Industrial Park to check a leak of anhydrous ammonia.
KEYWORDS: HAZARDOUS CARGO & WASTE AMMONIA by CNB