Incident number: 2023-08968
Type of emergency: Possible hazardous materials spill
Incident date: 12/22/2023
Incident time: 1:45 p.m.
Address/location: 4600 W. Dickman Road
Occupied? Yes
Owner: Camel Energy
Probable cause, if known: Pump malfunction
Structure type: Large industrial facility
Construction type: Type II construction-metal pole barn
Estimated property damage: None
Estimated contents damage: None
Location/extent of damage: Rear of the structure in the back parking ramp
Hazardous materials involved?: Hazardous Materials Response with Engine 5 and Car 3. Haz-Mat 1 on stand-by.
Specialized rescues?: NA
Vehicles involved: NA
Injuries
None
Fatalities
None
Other information: At approximately 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 22, the Battle Creek Fire Department responded to a possible sulfuric acid spill at Camel Energy, located in the Fort Custer Industrial Park. Engine 5, Engine 4, Car 3, and one Battle Creek Police unit arrived to find water being discharged out the rear of the structure.
Units on scene made contact with the Plant Manager and Plant Engineer, explaining they were performing a winter break cleanup. The pump malfunctioned and subsequently caused some of the cleaning agent, sulfuric acid, to leak into the water discharge line. The on-site supervisors stated they immediately added a neutralizing agent to the discharge, making the spill non-toxic.
Car 3 notified the Fire Chief, the City Environmentalist, the City Emergency Manager, and the Department of Public Works-Wastewater Division. The spill was tested and confirmed to be non-toxic to the groundwater.
Car 3 turned over the incident to Public Works so the BCFD could respond to a possible occupied structure fire. The fire was determined to be food left unattended on the stove. Car 3 then returned to Camel Energy and was notified the incident had already been mitigated by Public Works.