FLAT ROCK, Mich. (WWJ) -- Health officials in Michigan are recommending some residents of Flat Rock to evacuate their homes until further notice, due to the potential risks caused by fumes from a gasoline leak from a storage tank at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant.
As crews continue to investigate the leak, which has left parts of the city smelling a gasoline odor, officials are encouraging evacuations for residents in the area bounded by I-75 to the east, Gibraltar Road to the north, Cahill Road to the west and Woodruff Road to the south.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Wayne County Health Department made the announcement late Saturday night.
Response teams will go door-to-door beginning Sunday morning in the affected areas to ensure residents are informed and receive quick and accurate information about evacuation.
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Ford claimed responsibility Friday for the suspicious odor that residents began discovering on Monday. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) said benzene vapors and an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline spilled into the city’s sewers. The odor investigation took place in the southeast part of the city, south of Gibraltar Rd.
The incident also prompted Wayne County to declare a state of emergency in the city earlier this week.
Benzene is a flammable and colorless liquid with a sweet odor used to make other chemicals, generally found in gasoline, crude oil and tobacco smoke. According to the State Dept of Health and Human Services, 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.
That’s why officials are urging Flat Rock residents within the bounded area to evacuate until further notice.
In addition to the 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.
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