The Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant in Canton, Georgia, was evacuated on the afternoon of September 21 following a chemical spill coming from a FedEx truck that was making a delivery to the plant.
About 300 workers from the plant were evacuated after the spill of peracetic acid was detected. Four people were hospitalized as a result of breathing chemicals from the spill, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jay Baker told the Canton Patch. Among those four were two Pilgrim’s Pride employees and two construction workers who were on the street and were passed by the truck.
The spill prompted road closures while cleanup procedures were conducted by the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services’ Hazmat Team. Among the roads to have portions closed were Univeter Road and Interstate 575.
Pilgrim's Pride, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, is the second largest broiler company in the United States. In 2017, it 154.2 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis.
