Ammonia Sickens at Least 17 at Pilgrim’s Pride Plant

MOUNT PLEASANT (AP) — An ammonia leak at a northeast Texas meat packing plant has sickened more than a dozen people. A spokeswoman at Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant says 17 patients were transported to the hospital for examination. Spokeswoman Shannon Norfleet says the examinations were precautionary and no serious injuries or illnesses were found. The leak happened about 2:30 Friday afternoon at the Pilgrim’s Pride poultry packing plant. Company spokeswoman Margaret McDonald says contract workers were performing maintenance on the plant roof when the leak began and the plant was evacuated. McDonald says all workers taken to the hospital were examined, treated and released, and the leak was repaired in about thirty minutes.