Pilgrim’s Pride on May 17 evacuated its prepared foods plant in Moorefield, West Virginia, due to an ammonia leak.
According to an email sent to WATT Global Media from company spokesperson Nikki Richardson, the leak was quickly identified and the plant was fully evacuated. She added that all regulatory agencies and local officials were notified.
In addition to the plant being evacuated, some schools in Moorefield were dismissed shortly after 9 a.m. that day because of the leak, reported WHSV.
The ammonia leak did not result in any injuries.
Richardson said the plant is currently open and operating normally.
The Moorfield plant underwent an expansion project in 2016, with the addition of a fully cooked chicken line, as well as the enhancement of other lines at the plant. The improvement project represented an investment of about $25 million.
The Pilgrim’s Pride prepared foods plant was presented with an Award of Honor in 2014, while the feed mill in Moorefield was presented with an Award of Merit by the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council. In 2020, the Moorefield feed mill was presented with the council’s Award of Distinction.
Pilgrim’s Pride, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, is the second largest broiler producer in the United States. The company slaughtered 30.5 million head of broilers and processed 161.66 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken on a weekly basis in 2020.
