AMMONIA LEAK CLOSES HIGHWAY 25

DELTA, Mo. -- Highway patrol troopers closed State Highway 25 briefly late Thursday in Delta after several residents smelled anhydrous ammonia fumes and called the authorities.

Cpl. P.C. Hazelwood said the fumes came from Delta Supply Inc., a farm supply company. Farmers have been using the ammonia in their fields and apparently didn't shut off one of the valves completely, he said.

Despite media reports to the contrary, nobody in Delta was evacuated, and the highway reopened after 15 minutes.

"When the Delta Fire Department and different personnel got on the scene, they found there was no need to evacuate," Hazelwood said.

Anhydrous ammonia is a toxic chemical used for fertilizer, but it is often stolen from farm tanks by drug manufacturers because it is a component in methamphetamine.