News Release 537

DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO FIRE
AT MCDONALD COUNTY CHICKEN FACILITY

Volume 35-537

Contact: Larry Archer

(For immediate release)

573-751-3807

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 13, 2007 -- A fire today at the MOARK plant near Anderson in McDonald County killed approximately 2,000 chickens but did not affect a nearby waterway, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The department's Environmental Emergency Response section was contacted by a plant official
at 7 a.m. who reported the fire and expressed concerns that water from the firefighting efforts might drain into a nearby waterway. Staff from the department's Southwest Regional Office in Springfield also responded.

An inspection of the site following the fire found no fire suppression water left the site and no other environmental concerns.

The department's Environmental Emergency Response section is called to the scene of more than 300 emergencies each year, including fires, traffic accidents, leaking storage tanks and other incidents that could have a negative environmental impact. The department's 24-hour spill line receives more than 1,600 incident reports annually.

To report an environmental emergency, including fuel spills, please contact spill line at
573-634-2436. For more information, contact the Department of Natural Resources at
800-361-4827 or 573-751-3443 or visit the department's Web page at www.dnr.mo.gov.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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