Even proponents of ammonia agree it is not a good idea to have too much of the refrigerant near a residential neighborhood. A recent incident in the small town of Fort Edward, near Albany, NY, gave credence to the concern.
The problem wasn’t a plant. It was a railroad car that just happened to be passing through. It sprung a leak in early September in the town of 1,200. As a result, 800 of the residents had to leave their homes for several days and dozens of experts had to figure out ways to get the situation under control.