Lilydale to pay $180K for 2009 ammonia leak

Lilydale Inc. has been fined $180,000 after ammonia was released from its southeast Calgary processing plant in 2009.

The companypleaded guilty to chargesthat worker error caused the release at the Ramsay location.

Nearbyresidents were forced from their homesor required stay inside with windows and doors shut.

A group ofresidents is suing the chicken manufacturerover other problems.

Barry Robinson is their lawyer.

"Hopefully they'll continue to look at their systems, particularly their ammonia system, and how this release occurred. But, I think it just demonstrates the problem of having an industrial operation like this adjacent to a residential neighbourhood."

Seventeen residents are suing Lilydale for $250,000 in damages related to smell and noise issues.

The group wants the plant to shut down at 5 p.m. every day.

The company avoided fines in January 2010,for two blood spills outside the inner-city chicken plant.

The poultry operation has been in the southeast Calgary neighbourhood since 1941, and Lilydale has been involved since 1969.