BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A manufacturing facility in Battle Creek had to be evacuated after a reported chemical spill.
It occurred just before 4 a.m. Tuesday at DENSO Manufacturing off of Denso Road, south of Dickman Road in the northwest part of the city.
Andrew Rickerman, Senior Regional Public Relations Specialist for DENSO International, says employees had to evacuate their main building of the thermal manufacturing facility after a chemical supply tank breached and partially spilled.
About 100 gallons were released from a 300 gallon tank. Rickerman says the tank was pretreatment chemicals containing diluted sulfuric acid and hydrofloric acid.
The crew evacuated the facility, air quality was tested, and they were able to reenter just before 8 a.m. and resume workplace operations in areas unaffected by the breach.
One employee was treated at the hospital for fume inhalation but has since returned to work.
In a written statement, Rickerman says, “Since the breach, DENSO’s Safety, Health and Environment team prevented spilled material from entering the ground or exiting the facility.”
The company will now follow all safety protocols to remove the materials and investigate how the spill occurred.
According to their website, DENSO produces air-conditioner related products for North American automakers.
No other details have been released at this time.
(This story has been updated to reflect the latest information provided by DENSO International America, Inc. A caller first reported a 1,000 gallon spill, but DENSO confirms it was 100 gallons. The article has since been corrected.)
