Ammonia leak at Maple Lodge Farms in Brampton led to evacuation of plant, nearby homes
No injuries were reported at the chicken processing plant
An ammonia leak prompted emergency crews to evacuate a Maple Lodge Farms plant in Brampton for hours on Sunday morning.
Peel police and Brampton firefighters were called to the chicken processing plant on Winston Churchill Boulevard at around 8:15 a.m. after maintenance work caused a leak in the freezer room.
No injuries were reported, but crews urged residents within a kilometre of the plant either to shelter-in-place or leave their homes temporarily, according to David Van Houten, acting platoon chief for Brampton Fire and Emergency Services.
The shelter-in-place was lifted by about 2 p.m. after threat of level came down and the leak was finally stopped.
"It is a very high health hazard for respiratory issues. You cannot breath in that gas at all, not even in little quantities," Van Houten said.
Peel police, along with Halton police asked residents within the kilometre radius to stay inside.
Our officers are assisting <a href="https://twitter.com/PeelPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeelPolice</a> with this call. We are going door-to-door asking area residents to shelter in place (i.e. remain in their homes) until further notice. Thank you for your patience. <a href="https://t.co/nc9oG8uuwr">https://t.co/nc9oG8uuwr</a>
—@HaltonPoliceThe facility uses chillers that use ammonia as a cooling agent in its freezer room, Van Houten said. The freezer room was isolated from the main plant.
"Everything outside of that closure can resume as normal," Peel police said in a tweet.
Winston Churchill Boulevard remains closed from Embleton Road to Steeles Avenue.
