Homes ended up evacuated until crews were able to stop a leak that sent plumes of anhydrous ammonia into an area around Collins, Iowa, Tuesday, officials said.
Hazardous materials crews got the call around 11 a.m. Tuesday to Landus Cooperative, where a 30,000-gallon tank of anhydrous ammonia leaked. First responders immediately evacuated an area in the southeast corner of Collins, Story County Sheriff’s Office officials said.
The leak was contained around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and the evacuation order lifted, sheriff’s office officials said. There were no injuries in the incident.
Story County Emergency Management Coordinator Keith Morgan said the leak occurred as employees were performing maintenance on the anhydrous tank, creating a vapor plume in the area.
He said weather conditions helped keep the problem from worsening.
“We were fortunate the winds were out of the west and northwest, and moved the vapor cloud out and away from where it would be a risk to most of the homes in that area,” Morgan said.
He said the Des Moines Fire Department’s hazardous materials team responded and went in to close down the leak.
Anhydrous ammonia is a farm fertilizer stored under pressure as a liquid, but becomes a lethal, suffocating gas when released from pressure. Even thin fumes can cause breathing difficulty and irritation to eyes, nose or throat.