Agencies respond to anhydrous leak

The Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and Illinois Department of Public Health, along with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Teutopolis Fire Protection District, and other law enforcement, fire, and emergency management agencies in Effingham County are wrapping up the emergency response to a multi-vehicle accident involving a semi-truck transporting anhydrous ammonia.
Teutopolis residents have been allowed to return home and U.S. Highway 40 is open.
At approximately 9:25 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023, ISP was notified of a crash on U.S. Highway 40 about a half mile east of Teutopolis involving multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck leaking anhydrous ammonia. The semi-truck was carrying approximately 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia at the time of the accident, of which 4,000 gallons leaked from the tanker.
Due to the plume from the ammonia leak, roughly 500 residents were evacuated from northeastern parts of Teutopolis and U.S. Highway 40 was closed between Effingham and Montrose. Five fatalities occurred as a result of the incident and multiple injuries were reported.
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