AMMONIA LEAKS AFTER THEFT ATTEMPT

CLAY - An attempted anhydrous ammonia theft at a farm store early
yesterday caused a chemical leak that forced the evacuation of a few
hundred residents, and at least two people were treated at a hospital,
authorities said.

Anhydrous ammonia is a common ingredient in methamphetamine, an
illegal drug that has become pervasive in Western Kentucky.

Webster County Sheriff Frankie Springfield said one or more people
slipped under a chain link fence shortly after 4 a.m. CDT at the
Southern States store here and placed a hose on a 1,000-gallon tank of
ammonia. They attempted to pump the chemical into a smaller tank but
the hose disconnected, releasing about 700 pounds of ammonia into the
air.

"When they turned the valve on, the pressure caused the hose from the
propane tank to come loose," Springfield said.

As many as 300 people on the east side of the town of 1,749 were asked
to leave their homes, Springfield said. Most went to a nearby church.

It took workers about an hour to cap off the leaking ammonia.

The evacuation was lifted later yesterday morning.

Springfield said a couple of people who inhaled fumes were taken to a
hospital.