A broken ammonia pipe was the cause of a leak that occurred during the third shift at the Pilgrim’s Pride poultry processing plant in Canton, Georgia.
According to a press release from Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services, the incident occurred just shortly after 8 p.m. on January 19.
“Cherokee County firefighters and members of the Cherokee County Haz-Mat Team arrived on scene to find a broken ammonia pipe. Approximately 42 employees ran outside to the back of the building were the leak occurred until help could arrive. Three of the employees were taken to area hospitals to be evaluated for mild to severe injuries,” the release stated.
The northbound lanes of I-575 were closed between exit 11 at Sixes Road and exit 16 at Hickory Flat Road due to the hazardous materials situation. Univeter Road from Highway 5 to Chattin Drive was also shut down. The agency said no homes or businesses other than Pilgrim’s Pride were evacuated during this time.
Firefighters and Hazmat members were able to contain the leak, and they began ventilating the area around 10 p.m.
Cherokee County 911 did receive calls from area residents and businesses concerned about the ammonia odor in the area, but nobody from neighboring property was transported to the hospital.
Pilgrim’s Pride spokeswoman Nikki Richardson said as of noontime the following day, one of the three hospitalized employees had been released, while the other two remained under observation.
The plant was not damaged and it is again fully operational.
Pilgrim’s Pride is conducting an internal investigation of the incident with cooperation from a third-party partner and with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Pilgrim’s Pride, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies database, is the second largest broiler producer in the United States, having processed 161.66 million pounds of ready-to-cook chicken in 2020. The company also has operations in Mexico and in Europe.
