20 Injured in Toxic Chemical Spill at Cheese Plant20 Injured in Toxic Chemical Spill at Cheese Plant

A chemical leak in Clovis, NM, on Monday sent several workers to the hospital due to chemical exposure.

The Curry County Sheriff's Office post on Facebook stated that, at 9:15 a.m., it was notified of an incident at the Southwest Cheese factory in Clovis. Sheriff's deputies along with the Clovis Fire Department arrived a short time later.

The Sheriff's Office said that 8.67 gallons of acid spilled and mixed with .61 gallons of chlorine due to equipment malfunction. This created the chemical mixture that resulted in 20 employees being injured because of the toxic gas.

The post shared that 14 people were transferred to two local hospitals.

New Mexico State Police is working with the factory in cleaning the chemicals. The Clovis Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team was also called to the scene.

The cause of the equipment malfunction and leak is being investigated. The sheriff’s office also said there is no threat to the public and the chemical release was contained.

Founded in 2005, Southwest Cheese Factory is a global manufacturer of cheese and whey protein ingredients. The company processes milk and produces premium block cheese as well as highly-purified whey protein powders each year.