CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Federal officials identified the owner of the tanks that leaked ammonia in Beach Park Thursday as John Kevak, who owns farms in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc, a local CBS news affiliate reported.
The station also reported that residents who may have been exposed to the leak are contacting lawyers to see what their options are. One man reported that his trees are turning black and his grass is dying.
According to the Associated Press, the conditions of five people who were sickened by the gasses released in the leak have improved. The Lake County sheriff's office said the five people have been upgraded to serious condition from critical, including a firefighter. Two people remained in intensive care Saturday.
A tractor driver was towing tanks of anhydrous ammonia to an Illinois farm from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, when the chemical leaked Thursday, creating a toxic gas cloud that injured dozens of people. Most were treated and released from hospitals.
The leak occurred in Beach Park, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of downtown Chicago. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Material from The Associated Press was used in the story.
