WALKER, Mich — The Walker Fire Department responded to a hazmat situation at H.B. Fuller on Kinney Avenue Thursday afternoon.
City officials say the situation is contained, but residents were asked to avoid the area while crews were on the scene. Kinney Avenue between 3 Mile Road and Waldorf Street was closed.
Officials say there is no threat to the public at this time.
H.B. Fuller is a manufacturing company that makes specialized adhesives for industries ranging from beauty to medical to transportation. It was first established in 1887 and has locations around the globe.
In a statement, H.B. Fuller said the plant "experienced a production process upset resulting in evacuation in the reactive hot melt adhesives section."
"No injuries, damage to the facilities, or release to the environment occurred, and no impact to the community is expected in the aftermath of this incident, involving a batch of polyurethane material. As a precaution, some fire trucks were dispatched to the site and the Grand Rapids Hazmat team is working with H.B. Fuller to address the incident. The site and fire department have decided to put water on the reactor while the material is released as a precaution."
A company representative said a batch of expanding foam (polyurethane material) "partially reacted and became stuck within the process vessel when the site lost control of cooling and mixing, causing the batch within the mixer to be under pressure."
The team is now working to find a safe way to release the pressure.
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