Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves say there are no reports of injuries or deaths following a chemical leak Tuesday at the CF Industries plant north of Yazoo City. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is on site and actively monitoring air quality.
Initial air readings registered 25 parts per million (PPM), which allowed rail traffic in the area to resume, authorities said. However, the shelter-in-place order remains in effect and will stay in place until monitoring data shows a consistent downward trend.
Traffic control points are set up on U.S. 49 to divert vehicles and will remain until MDEQ and CF Industries issue an all-clear to Yazoo County officials.
The American Red Cross has opened a reception center at the Yazoo County High School gymnasium; as of the latest update, no evacuees have checked in.
Beyond the state personnel already responding, Mississippi has not received additional requests for resources.
Agencies coordinating on the response include MEMA, the Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks, Yazoo County EMA, Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office, Yazoo County Fire, Yazoo City Fire Department, Yazoo City Police Department, Madison Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County EMA, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Pafford (8 ambulances), Pafford Air One Delta (1 helicopter), AirCare (1 helicopter), UMMC FAST Team, CF Industries, and CN Railroad.
Governor Reeves emphasized that public safety is the top priority and said the state will continue to monitor conditions, respond as needed, and provide additional updates as they become available.