Fatal poultry plant ammonia leak ruled accidental

LUMBER BRIDGE, N.C. - Investigators have ruled an ammonia leak at a poultry processing plant in North Carolina was an accident.

Saturday's leak at the Mountaire Farms plant about 16 miles south of Fayetteville killed one worker and injured four others.

Authorities say 30 to 40 people were at the plant when the leak occurred. The Robeson County Sheriff's Office says the leak happened while employees were doing maintenance work on a piece of machinery at the plant.

The company issued a statement expressing condolences for the victims and promising to cooperate with authorities.

Robeson County Sheriff Kenneth Sealey said the leak occurred about 10 a.m.

Sealey identified the worker who died as Clifton Swain, 47, of Fayetteville at a mid-afternoon briefing. Sealey did not have additional details about Swain.

The plant employs 2,500 people.

Sealey said the State Bureau of Investigation along with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were contacted after the accident.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/6/221267