One person found dead following chemical release at Americold in Effingham County

One person is dead after a chemical release at the Americold facility in Meldrim. According to Captain Hannah Jenkins of Effingham County Fire Rescue, the crew responded to the scene Friday morning where an employee was found unresponsive.

"The deceased employee has been taken to the GBI office for autopsy," said Jenkins. "[It] is not known if his death was related to the chemical or if he suffered a medical emergency prior to the release. The chemical encountered on site is a pesticide used to treat fruits and vegetables. We utilized the facility air scrubbers to remove the chemical and ensure nothing was released into the environment."

The employee was a technician from Ecolab. A press release from Effingham County Fire Rescue states, “Emergency crews worked with staff on site to contain a chemical released to the only building effected."

A statement released on the Effingham Fire and Rescue Facebook page says there is no threat to the public.

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Effingham County Fire Rescue responds to chemical release in Meldrim