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Anhydrous leak controlled in Fort Dodge

The regional hazardous materials team of the Fort Dodge Fire Department worked for about two hours Thursday night to control a leak of anhydrous ammonia from a parked truck.

No evacuations were necessary and no injuries were reported.

Anhydrous ammonia is a corrosive material. Exposure to it will burn the skin and inhaling it will burn the lungs.

The incident was reported at 9:33 p.m. at Ampride, 3245 Fifth Ave. S. Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter said the driver of another truck noticed the leak and called it in

Hergenreter said the gas was leaking from the pump on the truck. Hazardous materials team members donned special protective suits and then worked to tighten bolts in the pump.

They were not able to completely stop the flow of the chemical, but did reduce it to what Hergenreter called ”an incidental leak.” With the leak significantly reduced, the driver drove the truck to a place where the anhydrous ammonia could be unloaded.

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