Gas release at meat plant

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started an investigation into the release of a dangerous gas at a meat plant in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

About 2,000 litres of ammonia gas was released from a refrigeration system at the AIBP Meats plant at 4am yesterday.

The incident occurred at an isolated area of the factory on the Borrisokane Road and emergency services, including units from North Tipperary Fire Brigade, were on the scene within minutes. No one was injured.

The company started an investigation yesterday morning and officers from the EPA also arrived on site.

Emergency services left the factory before 9am and production is expected to restart within days.

An EPA statement said: "A detailed report on the incident and the required corrective actions will be completed within the next few days . . . The priority for the EPA is to ensure that the incident has been dealt with as effectively and efficiently as possible to limit any environmental impact." Exposure to industrial-strength ammonia can cause nausea, skin irritation, dizziness and respiratory problems.

© 2007 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times