A Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Noel, Missouri, was evacuated in the early morning hours of February 3, due to an ammonia leak that occurred.
The leak, according to a report from WWLP, Hazardous Materials teams were dispatched to the scene around 6 a.m., and assistance from other nearby emergency agencies followed.
The plant was evacuated and no injuries resulted from the leak, a Tyson Foods spokesperson said in a statement emailed to WATT Global Media.
“The source of the leak was found, isolated and is not in use,” she wrote. “Operations have resumed. We’re grateful for the local emergency response teams who assisted and addressed the situation.
Tyson Foods is investigating the incident.
Tyson Foods’ poultry plant in Noel was the site of a COVID-19 outbreak during the summer of 2019. The company tested more than 1,100 workers at the plant for the coronavirus, and of those, 291 workers tested positive. More than 85 of those to test positive did not show any symptoms and otherwise would not have been identified.
The Noel plant received some damages in a flood in 2017. Following the flood, Tom Hayes, who at the time was the CEO of Tyson Foods, said the facility in Noel was “affected to a degree,” although he said the company was unable to determine any lasting impact.
The facility was also a recipient of one of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s (USPOULTRY) Clean Water Awards in 2009. It was selected as a runner-up in the full treatment category.
Tyson Foods, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, is the largest broiler company in the United States and the second largest in the world. It is also the fifth largest turkey producer in the country, and is a major producer of beef, pork and animal feed.
