(August 14, 2009) —

An anhydrous ammonia release from the Upstate Farms Cooperative Inc. plant in Rochester early Thursday sent two Rochester police officers to the hospital and affected at least one family in the neighborhood.

Between 25 and 30 people were inside the plant, 45 Fulton Ave., at the time of the release, but no one was injured. Several officers and the plant workers were treated at the scene.

Six people in a house with windows open across the street from the plant were affected by the ammonia cloud, said Deputy Chief Bill Curran of the Rochester Fire Department. "They had started to smell the ammonia and were having a little difficulty breathing."

Rochester police officers Luca Martini and Christopher Barber were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital, where they were treated and released. One nearby resident was also overcome by fumes and taken to Strong.

"One of the workers inside the plant was doing some maintenance on the system," Curran said. "He had the system shut down for three hours, and that allowed the anhydrous ammonia to expand and have increased pressure, which activated the release valve. This was a normal operation of the system; however, the cloud that happened in the neighborhood is not (normal)."

Residents of the area were not evacuated. However, those living in a three-block area received a call from 911.

"What 911 can do is call all the houses within a three-block area and tell them to shelter-in-place," Curran said.

"Close your windows, stay inside. That was done."

An investigation is being conducted into how the ammonia escaped into the neighborhood.

CROBERTS@DemocratandChronicle.com

Includes reporting by staff writer Victoria E. Freile