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This thread is awfully quiet during the daylight hours.

Ammonia leak forces evacuations in Ohio

By JOHN NOLAN
The Associated Press
2/18/2004, 12:38 p.m. ET

PLEASANT PLAIN, Ohio (AP) — Someone trying to steal anhydrous ammonia from a fertilizer plant early Wednesday released a stinging cloud of the chemical that led to the evacuation of about 300 residents, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported. Most residents were allowed to return about an hour after a hazardous materials team closed a valve on an ammonia tank, Harlan Township Fire Chief Andy Mitten said.

The leak at the Southwest Landmark plant was reported about 4:30 a.m., officials said.

"It's definitely criminal activity," Mitten said. Anhydrous ammonia is produced as a farm fertilizer, but it's also a key ingredient in methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug.

The company has had break-ins before, Mitten said. Plant manager Mike Young has asked authorities to investigate. Firefighters arriving at the plant found a thick, gray cloud hovering about two feet off the ground.

Fire officials evacuated 280 residents from this southwest Ohio village, located 25 miles east of Cincinnati, along with about 20 other families who live nearby. Among the evacuees were 63-year-old Gary Copen and his uncle, 91-year-old Willis King.

"We went outside. There was a very strong smell," Copen said, adding that the fumes irritated his uncle's eyes. Ammonia vapor can burn skin on contact and if inhaled can caused fatal lung damage.

Southwest Landmark has about 40 tanks that hold 300 to 400 gallons each of liquid ammonia. http://www.nj.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/base/national-18/107712624674100.xml

"The network, blamed for the Sept 11, 2001, attacks that killed 3,000 people, seeks targets that would strike a blow to the U.S. economy, Hutchings said in a Jan. 14 speech to the International Security Management Association in Arizona, the text of which was posted on Feb. 4 on the NIC's Web site."

"Al Qaeda has looked at derailing trains, perhaps carrying hazardous materials, to attack U.S. interests, he said"

There have been 38 Train Derailments in the U.S. since January 11, 2004. I have been keeping track via Google searches; some of which are listed in the following previous posts:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1072462/posts?page=2123#2123>

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1072462/posts?page=2021#2021>