Shiawassee Township Chemical Leak
State police and Shiawassee Road Commission vehicles blocked off an approximate half-mile area at all points near the corner of Bennington and State roads in Shiawassee Township this morning (Wednesday, June 21). A trailer with a pressurized tank being pulled by a truck had started leaking anhydrous ammonia, a toxic compound that produces a colorless gas that is poisonous. It was reported that at least a few houses were evacuated. Two troopers were sent to emergency as a precautionary effort to be sure their exposure was minimal. One state trooper reported that it appeared a release valve had given way and that the trailer was “shooting like an aerosol can.”
A HAZMAT team was quickly called in to handle the accident. Police are strongly urging people to stay away from the area, though it is estimated that cleanup may only take a few hours.
