Emergency responders and regional hazmat teams spent several hours Monday at the site of a chlorine gas leak that forced a Warrenton day care to be evacuated and severely damaged the food stock at a nearby food pantry.The source of the chlorine leak was the pump house for the city water tower on Powell Street, authorities said. The leak was reported around 9:30 a.m., when nearby people smelled the odor of chlorine.The exact cause of the leak has not been released.Fire crews and ambulance units from throughout Warren County and western St. Charles County responded to the alert, and three regional hazmat units were called to assist in containing the leak, according to the Warrenton Fire Protection District. The leak was stopped just after noon, and the area was declared safe at 12:30 p.m.EvacuationImmediately south of the water tower on Powell Street is Momma Bears Daycare. After the chlorine leak was reported, authorities coordinated a plan to evacuate the children if necessary. When it persisted over an hour, the children and staff were loaded onto two Warren County School District buses and taken to Rebecca Boone Elementary for about two hours.Warrenton Fire public information officer Jim Sharp said there were no injuries related to the chlorine gas, and that children were well accounted for by day care staff.“The staff was well prepared. You could tell they had a plan and executed it very well,” Sharp said. “I’m sure the last thing the day care expected when they came in that day was to have to leave. I’m sure the last thing Rebecca Boone expected was to take in several dozen kids. But they handled it very well.”Sharp thanked the transportation and elementary officials who helped coordinate the evacuation.Food pantryImmediately north of the water tower at the Agape Food Pantry, Executive Director Michelle Bernth said staff evacuated shortly after reporting the leak at 9:30 a.m. and were kept out of the building until the afternoon. Bernth said over 1,000 pounds of food was lost because of the gas.“We lost a significant amount of our perishable food, like produce. Unfortunately that food was exposed to the air that was exposed to the chlorine gas,” Bernth said Tuesday. “We are back open today trying to serve as many clients as we can. ... Our building still has a pretty strong chlorine odor today, but we’ve been trying to air it out.”Bernth said the Agape pantry will restock as much as it can this week, but would welcome any donations to help. Food can be dropped off at the pantry Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A leak of chlorine gas from the Warrenton water tower pump house on Powell Street Monday brought assist crews from nearly every emergency agency in Warren County and regional hazmat teams. The nearby area was evacuated for several hours, including a day care next door to the water tower. 

Record photo/Adam Rollins