Tuesday, December 30, 2014

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TEAM CONTAINS PYRROLIDINE CHEMICAL SPILL AT CON-WAY INC. IN SAGINAW, MICHIGAN



Hazardous Materials Team contains pyrrolidine chemical spill at Con-Way Inc. in Saginaw, Michigan


SAGINAW, MI — The Saginaw Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team has contained a chemical spill at a local trucking and logistics company.

The spill occurred before 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30, at Con-Way Inc., 611 Veterans Memorial Parkway.


According to Saginaw Fire Department Training and Safety Officer Ona Lee Aguilar, a corrosive and flammable chemical leaked from a 55-gallon drum after it was punctured during forklift transport.

"We did confirm that it is a chemical called pyrrolidine, which is an inhalation hazard," Aguilar said.


Employees were evacuated from the area where the chemical spilled. Two employees were sent to a hospital after expressing concern that they had inhaled the chemical, Aguilar said.

Veterans Memorial Parkway between McGill and Wadsworth was closed before 10 a.m. due to the spill. As of
11:45 a.m., the roadway remained closed to traffic.
Hazardous Materials Team members who were sent into the area to contain the spill were dressed in HAZMAT suits. The team members put the punctured drum into another, larger plastic drum.


"(Pyrrolidine) will eat through metals and things like that," Aguilar said.
After the drum was contained, officials were working on cleanup.

A larger evacuation of the area was not necessary, Aguilar explained, as the affected area only spans 150 feet.

Con-Way Inc. is a international transportation and logistics company headquartered in Ann Arbor.