Anhydrous ammonia tanks leak in southern Minnesota

ELKTON, Minn. (AP) - Some homes were evacuated and a freeway shut down after large anhydrous ammonia tanks began leaking in southern Minnesota.

Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi tells the Austin Daily Herald (https://bit.ly/1N9QBLG ) two 1,000-gallon tanks leaked at a grain elevator on the south edge of Elkton around 4 p.m. Monday.

Amazi says some homes were evacuated, and traffic was rerouted on Interstate 90.

Farmers use anhydrous ammonia - a potentially dangerous chemical - for fertilizer. The sheriff says the tanks were shut off as of 6:25 p.m., but a cloud of vapor remained.

No one has been hurt. Authorities don’t know what caused the apparent malfunction.

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This story corrects the number of leaking tanks to two instead of three.

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Information from: Austin Daily Herald, https://www.austindailyherald.com