Chemical leak cleaned up before bigger problems arise

Ferndale
January 13, 2012

Firefighters responded to leaking chemicals at an idle Ferndale business earlier this week that officials said could have caused a massive explosion if ignited.
 
According to Fire Marshal Brian Batten, around 9 a.m. on Jan. 9, Ferndale firefighters were dispatched on a report of noxious fumes emanating from Fermical Inc., a biomedical research facility located at 1360 Hilton Road. Neighbors of the business had smelled the fumes and called 911.
 
Firefighters arrived and discovered that one of the chemical tubs at Fermical was leaking. The tub contained 55-gallon storage drums filled with the chemicals methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and ethyl acetate.
 
“These particular drums failed because they had sustained water damage and were starting to rust,” Batten explained. “MEK is highly flammable, so this situation could have been much worse than it was. Luckily, no one was harmed, though.”
 
The Fire Department called in the Detroit-based company Marine Pollution Control to clean up the leak.


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