Silhouette

Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Jason Rose Ammonia leak followed protocal; however, traces of the toxic element were found behind the building.

Garden City police and fire personnel responded between 5:30-6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 17 to a call and discovered a small ammonia refrigeration leak from one of the tanks near the Annex building.

Crews arrived to discover that a pop-off valve released ammonia into the atmosphere to reduce pressure.

Dan Linton, industrial production technology division director, said the pop-off valve is designed to relieve pressure by emitting it into the atmosphere where it mixes with air and forms a cloud of steam.

"It [the valve] pops off and you will see a cloud of white steam, but it's just vapor mixing with the air," Linton, said. "It doesn't hurt the atmosphere."

Linton said he was in his office when campus security called and said someone had reported seeing smoke coming from near the Annex building.

"After security called, I went outside and saw that it [ammonia leak] was already over with," Linton said. "I just tried to wave people out of the way, away from the smell."

Linton said although this is only the second time an incident like this has happened at the college, it occurs at large corporations all the time.

"This happens frequently in big plants and there isn't anything to be concerned about here," Linton said. "Ammonia refrigeration is the safest refrigeration to use. "

Employees from more than 452 companies, covering all 50 states and six foreign countries have received training from GCCC's Ammonia Program. GCCC is a nationally accredited institution in Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration and has provided Refrigeration engineers and technicians from food processing, meat packing, refrigerated warehousing, petro chemicals, pharmaceuticals, air conditioning and many other industries an opportunity to use real equipment for their training since 1996. GCCC's seminars are designed to conform to OSHA and EPA regulations and industry best practices.

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