Julia Moffitt/Eyewitness News
Shelby County, Aug. 25 - Authorities are trying to determine what caused an ammonia leak in Shelby County Monday morning. Residents living in Fountaintown were the first to notice the ammonia leak and contacted the sheriff's department just before four o'clock.
The leak was coming from one of the tanks at the Ag-One Farm Co-op on State Road 9.
The leak caused quiet a concern for residents here who spent their Monday morning at a temporary shelter while emergency crews worked as fast at they could.
Sheriff's deputies in Shelby County rushed the residents in Fountaintown out of neighborhoods as fast as possible Monday morning.
A fog of anhydrous ammonia filled the streets and hovered over the area after a leak from one of the tanks at the co-op.
As firefighters and hazardous material crews arrived from Indianapolis, Shelby County emergency management officials set up a temporary shelter. They evacuated dozens of residents from their homes to escape the toxic chemical.
One resident says, "It was pretty strong. We were just concerned about the baby."
Shelly Green was one of those evacuated. "It is very strong. Our eyes burnt. It hurts when you breath in. We covered our mouths with blankets and pillows and we just ran to our cars as quickly as we could."
Emergency workers on the scene about a quarter of a mile away worked just as fast. Hazmat crews in protective suits worked in tandem to locate the cause of the leak.
"They have to keep working back and forth so no one spends too much time in there. Once they find which tank is leaking they can shut it off," said Jack Boyce with Shelby County Emergency Management.
It took only minutes. Crews found a valve slightly open on one of the 1,000 gallon tanks. Now the search is on for who opened it.
"Crews have had trouble here in the past. In fact, tanks like these are frequently broken into for anhydrous ammonia, a chemical widely know to be used in meth labs."
"Somebody tried to steal it for meth use or meth production and either left it there on purpose or got scared or hurt by doing it," says Ray Kerkhof with Ag-One Farm Co-op.
Fortunately no one in Fountaintown got sick from the toxic ammonia and residents left for home before seven o'clock. But they are anxious for police to find the cause of the leak because they know they may not be as lucky next time.
It could take a few more days before police confirm someone illegally opened the tank Monday morning.
But this is a growing crime in Indiana. In fact, Hendricks County officials plan a seminar next month to try and teach farmers and retailers how to look out for this type of activity, maybe before it happens.
The tanks are not locked up behind a fence, so management is trying to come up with something, even considering special valve locks, but they worry that would cause even more problems if a thief tries to break the lock off. They are anxious to come up with better safety measure, though.
