Ammonia leak reported at East Jackson plant
EAST JACKSON — Around 7:40 this morning, emergency responders were called to the scene of Pinnacle Foods at 96 Pinnacle Drive in East Jackson after receiving reports of an ammonia leak. Jackson firefighters, Hazmat, emergency management, EMS and Jackson Police all were called to the scene. “They were able to shut off a valve, and at that point we had another leak into a secondary, and they’re not sure of the potential cause of that secondary leak yet,” said Jimmy Floyd, operations manager with the Jackson-Madison County Emergency Management Agency. Jackson Fire Chief Max Stewart confirmed the leak started in the rear of the building and that the area had to be evacuated. He said the leak was contained around 9:05 a.m. Floyd says they were monitoring the wind, which would have carried the ammonia vapor through the area. “The wind was blowing this morning,” Floyd said. “It was kind of in our favor and kept it away from highly populated areas.” Jackson police say they were instructed by the fire department to block both entrances into the plant. No injuries have been reported, and it is unclear what caused the leak. In a statement by Pinnacle Foods released to WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News, the company said they “are actively investigating the cause of the incident.” The plant, which specializes in frozen foods, had around 590 employees as of May 2014.
