IONIA, Mich. - An Ionia County judge signed a court order requiring a Belding manufacturer to cease all operations at the request of the Ionia County Health Department, the Daily News reports.
Last week, city leaders and residents pushed to permanently close the site, home to KMI Manufacturing, after fires broke out at the building. The fires led to the release of poisonous chlorine gas and, on at least one occasion, evacuation of nearby homes.
On July 17, the Ionia County Health Department issued an imminent danger order regarding the factory and shut it down for a potentially dangerous public health concern.
The last fire was on July 19 in a dumpster fire outside the factory, weeks after regulators ordered a temporary halt to production of chlorine pool sanitation pucks.
The Daily News reports that the court order was signed Friday for the factory to cease all operations and secure the site, which produces chlorine tablets used for swimming pools, calcium chloride (salt) for melting ice and snow on roofs, and also does plastic injection molding.
Before the July 19 fire, production was shut down on Friday, July 12, following an incident that caused a fire and chlorine gas release.
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