11:30 AM: An ammonia leak at a meat processing plant hospitalized eight people and caused evacuations and road closures for several hours this morning in an industrial area of South San Francisco, according to Fire Marshal Luis Da Silva.
The leak was reported at about 5:45 a.m. at the Columbus Salame plant at 493 Forbes Blvd., Da Silva said.
The leak caused authorities to close several roads, preventing hundreds of businesses from operating and thousands of people from traveling through the area.
However, all roads were reopened by about 10:40 a.m. and people were being allowed to re-enter their businesses. A hazardous materials team was still working on confirming that the plant was safe to enter though at about 11 a.m., Da Silva said.
The ammonia is used in the plant’s cooling system to chill the meat after it is processed, according to Da Silva.
Exposure to the chemical, which affects the respiratory system, hospitalized eight people. Sixteen other people were treated at the scene and released, Da Silva said.
The leaking valve was closed around 8 a.m.
A fire crew will remain at the plant throughout the day to monitor the situation, he said.
Columbus Salame President Ralph Denisco said the leak was discovered on the roof of the building.
The company is upgrading the ammonia system at the plant, and the contractor doing the work arrived this morning and realized something was amiss as he went up to the roof to begin working, Denisco said.
“I don’t believe it was even in the building,” he said. “It dissipated into the air.”
Denisco said he hoped work could resume at the plant later today.
He also apologized to the businesses and drivers affected by the events.
Dozens of employees from surrounding buildings spent the morning sitting on the grass along the street as fire crews worked inside the sealed-off area.
Phil Arellano was 15 minutes away from finishing a 12-hour overnight shift at a nearby Budweiser distribution facility when firefighters entered the site wearing gas masks and full gear at 5:45 a.m.
They told employees to shut themselves in an enclosed office and await further instructions, he said.
“The smell was coming in and everybody starting coughing,” he said.
Arellano and his co-workers were later bused down the street.
Carlos Lanza, who also works at the Budweiser facility, arrived at 7 a.m. to find the area closed off. The shutdown occurred on the plant’s busiest day of the week, he said. The bulk of their beer deliveries happen this morning so stores can be stocked for the weekend.
“There’s a huge amount of product just sitting there,” he said.
Denisco said today’s events, along with a four-alarm fire in July that damaged a nearby Columbus Salame slicing and packaging facility, have not limited the availability of his company’s products.
“I’ve never had a summer like this,” he said.
10:03 AM (BCN): An ammonia leak at a meat processing plant injured 24 people and caused thousands of people to be evacuated from an industrial area of South San Francisco this morning, according to South San Francisco Fire Marshal Luis Da Silva.
The leak was reported at about 5:45 a.m. at the Columbus Salame plant at 493 Forbes Blvd., Da Silva said.
The ammonia is used in the plant’s cooling system to chill the meat after it is processed, according to Da Silva.
Sixteen people were treated at the scene and released, while eight people were hospitalized, Da Silva said. Ammonia affects the respiratory system.
The leaking valve was closed around 8 a.m., according to Da Silva.
Hundreds of businesses and thousands of people were affected by the closure of several area roads. All roads have since reopened with the exception of a portion of Forbes Boulevard between Allerton and Eccles avenues, according to Da Silva.
A hazardous materials team was inside the meat processing plant as of 9:30 a.m. to investigate the incident.
Firefighters from Daly City, Brisbane, Colma, Burlingame and San Mateo responded to the leak.
8:58 AM (BCN): Thousands of people have been evacuated from an industrial area of South San Francisco due to a ammonia leak at a meat processing plant, according to South San Francisco Fire Marshal Luis Da Silva.
The leak was reported at about 5:45 a.m. at the Columbus Salame plant at 493 Forbes Blvd., Da Silva said.
The ammonia is used in the plant’s cooling system to chill the meat after it is processed, according to Da Silva.
He said one person was transported to a local hospital after being in close proximity to the leak, and he has heard reports that at least two other people transported themselves to a hospital.
The leaking valve was closed around 8 a.m., Da Silva said.
A hazardous materials team was preparing to go into the plant shortly before 8:30 a.m. to check if the area was safe. Until it is reopened, Da Silva said hundreds of businesses and thousands of people are being affected.
Several roads were closed in the area, he said.
Firefighters from Daly City, Brisbane, Colma, Burlingame and San Mateo responded to the leak.
Update 8:00 AM: While KRON4 reports that the spill is a result of a broken package at the UPS warehouse at 900 Forbes Blvd, Bay City news is quoting CHP Officer Pacheco as saying it’s coming from “Columbus Salame in a building where they
process the meat,” which, yuck.
7:37 PM: Fire and emergency vehicles were called to the Forbes Blvd. area of South San Francisco at around 6 this morning. It’s being reported that as many as 12 ambulances are in the area of the UPS customer center at 657 Forbes Blvd., assisting those who have been exposed to the chemical through a decontamination process before releasing them.
CHP Sgt. Trent Cross says that the problem is an ammonia spill, and urges those who usually travel on 101 to take 280 this morning. He also said that the Grand and Oyster Point off ramps on 101 are closed, as they “don’t want more people entering an area we’re trying to evacuate.”
Only one injury has been reported at this time.
