Grawn business evacuated after chemical spill
Posted: Friday, September 4, 2015 1:52 pm
BY MATT TROUTMAN mtroutman@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY, MI
A faulty weld may have caused a chemical spill that sent two workers at Materne North America's U.S. 31 facility, a Grawn manufacturing facility, to the hospital.
Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department Chief Theo Weber said the incident took place Friday morning at Materne North America's U.S. 31 facility, which produces GoGo Squeez applesauce products. He said the company's management already evacuated the building by the time firefighters arrived.
The spill involved two chemicals used to clean stainless steel pipes.
Weber said one chemical is put through the system and then flushed before a second chemical is pumped through. He said the procedure avoids mixing the chemicals, but it appears a recent flawed welding job created a leak that brought the chemicals together on the floor.
"These two chemicals, you don’t want them to mix," he said.
The subsequent reaction created fumes that sent two workers to Munson Medical Center for respiratory irritation. Weber called it a "non-life threatening" situation.
Rural firefighter and a Traverse City Fire Department regional HAZMAT team entered the building wearing protective suits. Weber said they turned off valves, diluted the chemicals and ventilated the fumes from the building.
Materne representatives couldn't be reached for comment.