Toxic smell turns out to be fatal for Neb. homeowner
On an unseasonably warm autumn night in 2016 near Tekamah, Nebraska, a resident ventured out of his home to find the source of the sharp, overpowering odor he was smelling. What he didn’t know was that an 8-inch-diameter underground transmission pipeline owned and operated by Magellan Midstream Partners, LP had ruptured and released 2,587 barrels (108,654 gallons) of liquid anhydrous ammonia onto his property. Upon release and exposure to the atmosphere, the ammonia vaporized and produced a toxic plume.
The homeowner died of respiratory failure due to exposure to the ammonia vapor. He wasn’t the only victim of the October 17 incident: two people sustained minor injuries and a total of 29 households - 49 people, were evacuated. U.S. Highway 75, a main roadway in the area, was closed for several days.