Mason City Fire Department Releases New Details on March 21 Ammonia Leak

The Mason City Fire Department has released additional details about the ammonia leak that occurred on March 21.

Officials say Crystal Cold, the facility where the leak originated, is currently working with a third-party refrigeration company to complete repairs and compile a report on what happened. Once that report is finished, the fire department will review it as part of its ongoing evaluation.

Preliminary findings from the fire department indicate that a partial power loss to the system likely caused pressure to build in the ammonia gas lines, triggering relief valves. Officials believe this response helped prevent a more serious, potentially catastrophic leak.

The fire department also noted that Crystal Cold has been cooperative throughout the investigation and has invited officials back for a follow-up walkthrough with a refrigeration specialist to go over the sequence of events and discuss corrective actions.