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# A 10-mile stretch of Interstate 12 in St. Tammany and Tangipaho a parishes was shut down for nearly six hours Friday after an ammonia leak at a Goodbee food plant, which led to traffic snarls and minor crashes throughout western St. Tammany Parish.

State Police, whose hazardous materials teams worked to contain the leak at the Diversified Foods facility on La. 1085, closed the interstate about 10:30 a.m. because of win ds from the northwest, Trooper Dustin Dwight
said.

The closure led to four- and five-mile backups on I-12 and caus ed snarls on parallel roads such as U.S. 190 near Covington. Troopers worked “a handful” of accidents on the seco ndary roads but nothing serious, Dwight said.

The St. Tammany school system sent notifications through its sm artphone app and a robocall that the delays could affect bus routes and drop-off times after school.

The closure was a precautionary measure in response to the leak , which happened about 8:30 a.m. BY FAIMON A. ROBERTS III| FROBERTS@THEADVOCATE.COM 

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