Anhydrous leak caused closure of Hwy 56 in Hayfield

A report of anhydrous fumes crossing Hwy 56 next to the Central Farm Service Coop south of Hayfield caused the closure of the highway and rerouting of traffic last week.
Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose said that shortly after 7:15 p.m. last Wednesday night, Oct. 30, the 911 Dispatch Center received a report of anhydrous fumes crossing highway 56 next to the Central Farm Service Coop south of Hayfield at 75530 Highway 56 just north of the Mower County line.
Deputies responded and blocked Highway 56 while the Hayfield Fire Department and the Minnesota State Patrol responded. It was determined that a bulk storage tank was leaking.
Brownsdale Fire Department and Blooming Prairie Fire Department were also called to assist. MNDOT responded to help with the road closure and rerouting. Welfare checks were done on neighboring residents due to the size of the leak.
The MN Duty Officer paged out Olmsted’s Hazmat Team who arrived on scene just after midnight. Emergency crews worked throughout the night to stop the leak and clean up the scene. MNDOT was able to reopen the roadway at 4:53 a.m. and Hayfield emergency crews cleared the scene just before 5:30 a.m.
After clearing from the incident, the Dodge County Deputy who was first on scene was not feeling well and the Dodge Center Ambulance was requested to evaluate. He was transported by the Sheriff’s Office to Saint Mary’s Hospital ER at midnight where he was treated for Anhydrous exposure and released around 4 a.m.
The cause of the leak was not immediately known. Rose said Monday that there was no further information on the cause of the lead.