Public Safety responded to reports of an ammonia leak at Bering Fisheries on Saturday night around 10 o’clock.

The plant was evacuated and firefighters vented the building to dissipate the chemical.   Ammonia is used in refrigeration systems and can cause serious burns at high concentrations. 

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says initial estimates put the spill at roughly nine gallons.*  Environmental Programs Specialist Mark Sielaff (ZEE-loff) says that’s a relatively small leak.

The spill was contained to the icehouse but worker Tousa John says he could smell the gas inside the plant.

"We just evacuate because a strong smell comes in.  It was the ammonia."

No one was injured and the plant has resumed normal operations.

*Update: The final estimate is 27 gallons or 162 pounds of ammonia.