This article was updated with more details about how much ammonia was released.
MILFORD, Del. - Perdue Farms says an ammonia release at its Milford facility was contained inside the building and involved about 6 pounds of ammonia vapor.
According to Perdue, the release amount had not yet been determined when notifications were first made to the appropriate agencies. The company says it followed all required notification protocols as a precaution while the situation was being assessed.
Perdue says the source of the release was isolated and stopped, and no injuries were reported.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control initially reported a release involving an unknown amount of anhydrous ammonia at Perdue Farms in Milford.
According to the Delaware Environmental Release Notification System, the release happened June 9 at 8:28 p.m. at 255 N. Dupont Blvd.
The report says the anhydrous ammonia was released into the air from a possible refrigeration valve failure. Employees were evacuated until air monitoring was conducted, and the facility was deemed safe. The release states the chemical or substance is considered hazardous by the EPA.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, ammonia is a colorless, pungent and alkaline gaseous compound of nitrogen and hydrogen.
