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Wayne
County
recommend
evacuation
for
areas of
Flat
Rock due
to
hazardous
fumes
from gas
leak
All
residents
within
affected
area and
described
areas
below
should
evacuate
FLAT
ROCK,
MICH.
The
Michigan
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services
(MDHHS)
and
Wayne
County
Health
Department
(WCHD)
are
recommending
residents
of the
Flat
Rock
area
bounded
by I-75
to the
east,
Gibraltar
Road to
the
north,
Cahill
Road to
the west
and
Woodruff
Road to
the
south
evacuate
their
homes
until
further
notice
due to
the
potential
risks
caused
by fumes
from a
gasoline
leak
from a
storage
tank at
the Ford
Motor
Co.’s
Flat
Rock
Assembly
Plant.
Response
teams
will go
door-to-door
immediately
beginning
Sunday,
Sept. 5,
in
affected
areas to
ensure
residents
are
informed
and
receive
quick
and
accurate
information
about
evacuation.
In
addition
to the
smaller
geographic
area
described
above,
there is
a
broader
area of
Flat
Rock
under
investigation
for
potential
exposure.
This
area is
bounded
by
Gibraltar
Road to
the
north,
Sheeks
Road to
the
west,
East
Huron
River
Drive to
the
south,
and
Tamarack
Road to
the
East, as
well as
buildings
along
Woodruff
between
East
Huron
River
Drive
and
Cahill
Road.
MDHHS
and
Wayne
County
want to
make the
residents
aware of
the
potential
for the
chemicals
to have
traveled
to this
area and
that the
area
will be
under
investigation.
If
residents
are
concerned
about
potential
exposure
to
chemicals
in their
home,
they may
want to
evacuate
their
homes
until
further
information
is
available.
At
this
time, it
is
unclear
which
specific
homes
may be
at risk
and it
is
possible
residents
in some
areas of
the
potentially
impacted
area
have not
been
exposed.
The City
of Flat
Rock,
WCHD,
MDHHS,
Michigan
Department
of
Environment,
Great
Lakes,
and
Energy
(EGLE),
the
United
States
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(EPA),
and the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention’s
Agency
for
Toxic
Substances
and
Disease
Registry
(ATSDR)
continue
to work
together
to
understand
the
potential
risks
and will
update
the
community
as more
information
is
learned.
If you
need
assistance
with
evacuation
and/or
relocation,
please
call
Flat
Rock’s
hotline
at
734-782-2455,
ext. 6.
The
community
is at
risk of
exposure
to high
levels
of
benzene,
considered
a total
Volatile
Organic
Compound
(VOC),
which
can be
harmful
to human
health.
Measurements
of air
inside
buildings
and
sewer
lines
have
shown
levels
of VOCs
exceeding
health
protective
and/or
explosive
levels.
Benzene
is a
flammable
and
colorless
liquid
with a
sweet
odor
used to
make
other
chemicals.
It is
found in
gasoline,
crude
oil and
tobacco
smoke.
Breathing
in
higher
levels
of
benzene
can
cause
people
to feel
sleepy
or
dizzy,
have
headaches,
vomit or
have a
rapid
heart
rate.
Both
long-
and
short-term
exposure
to
benzene
can
increase
risks of
cancer,
cause
blood
problems,
and harm
the
immune
system.
Contact
your
healthcare
provider
if you
have
symptoms
or
health
concerns,
or if
you
believe
you may
have
been
exposed.
“We urge
Michiganders
in the
affected
areas to
take
swift
action
and
evacuate
their
homes,”
said Dr.
Joneigh
Khaldun,
chief
medical
executive
and
chief
deputy
for
health
at
MDHHS.
“You may
not be
able to
see or
smell
the
vapors
that
could
put your
health
at risk,
and we
recommend
everyone
in the
affected
area
consider
relocating
until
further
notice
and we
can
confirm
it is
safe to
return
to your
homes.”
On
Aug. 31,
MDHHS
received
a report
regarding
a
potential
release
of an
unknown
chemical
into the
sewer.
Along
with
local,
state
and
federal
partners,
MDHHS
responded
to
investigate
and
address
the
concerns
which
resulted
in
confirmation
of
harmful
vapors
in the
community.
Air
sampling
conducted
by the
U.S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(EPA)
has
identified
elevated
levels
of VOCs
throughout
the Flat
Rock
sanitary
sewer
system.
Partners
are
working
to slow
the
spread
of these
chemicals
and stop
further
exposure.
Continued
monitoring
will
measure
the
impact
of the
contamination
in the
sewer
lines
throughout
Flat
Rock.
MDHHS
partnered
with the
City of
Flat
Rock,
the
Wayne
County
Health
Department,
the
Michigan
Department
of
Environment,
Great
Lakes,
and
Energy
(EGLE),
the
United
States
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(EPA),
and the
Center
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention’s
Agency
for
Toxic
Substances
and
Disease
Registry
(ATSDR)
to
identify
the
source,
which
was
confirmed
Friday
as being
the Flat
Rock
Assembly
Plant.
As
this is
an
evolving
situation,
we will
continue
to
provide
updates
as they
become
available.
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