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Feds suspect vented gases caused ConAgra explosions

By Paul Tambasco
News Editor

Three weeks after explosions and a structural collapse at the ConAgra factory killed three employees and injured more than 40 others, investigators say they are closer to understanding what happened that day.

The ConAgra building suffered a partial collapse after an explosion on Tuesday, June 9. PAUL TAMBASCO, GCNT

Federal officials are examining the installation of a new gas line and water heater, which they say may have led to the accidental explosions Tuesday, June 9. According to authorities, the line was purged to remove air, and officials are looking into whether gases from the line were vented directly into a pump room at the plant’s south end, leading to an explosion.

A risky practice

Officials from the Chemical Safety Board, the federal agency charged with investigating the incident, said that letting off gas in a confined space is a risky practice.

“It would seem more appropriate that if you are going to purge a gas line that contains natural gas, that it would be purged outside the building where it would be safer,” CSB Chairman John Bresland said at a press conference Thursday, June 18.

Several contractors were hired to install and service the new equipment; the heater was to be used for cleaning and other purposes, according to CSB investigators.

The CSB declined to release the names of the contractors until they better understand who was responsible for the installation process.

“We are concerned that there are folks still in the hospital that may be unduly stressed by conversing about those specific issues, and it is also part of our ongoing investigation,” said Don Holstrom, investigation supervisor for CSB.

Officials from the N.C. Department of Labor, who are also looking into the incident, said the agency is investigating 10 firms that had employees at the site that morning.

Since the accident, an attorney for two injured workers has filed a civil lawsuit against three of the contractors. In the complaint, Leonard Spruill of Johnston County and Tammie O’Neal of Wake County contend that the contractors were negligent or that they damaged the lines during installation.

Download a copy of the employees’ complaint

One of the defendants, Southern Industrial Contractors, claims to have had workers on site but said in a statement that none were in the pump room or involved in installing the heater or lines. Energy Systems Analyst, a Hickory-based company that manufactured the water heater, and Jacobs Engineering, a Pasadena, Calif.-based firm that provides professional technical services, were added to the lawsuit last week. Calls for comment to both companies’ representatives were not returned.

The civil lawsuit comes after officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire and Explosives ruled the explosions an accident, resulting from natural gas being ignited by an unknown source.

Bresland said it is unlikely that anyone will ever know what triggered the first explosion.

“In a facility like this, it could be switching on or off a light; it could be a refrigerator that’s close by; it could be a light bulb,” he said. “It is usually difficult to determine the source.”

Next steps

Federal authorities are continuing to search the site for evidence to piece together what happened. Complicating the effort are fallen beams, unstable structures and other hazards that still exist inside the building. More than 100,000 square feet of the facility was damaged in the explosion, according to officials.

“It is easy to imagine how even more people could have been impacted by an accident of this magnitude,” said Bresland, who toured the site Wednesday, June 17.

The area around the pump room where the blast started is particularly dangerous, he said. As a result, officials do not know how long it will be before their team can reach the area. Two explosion-modeling experts are examining the structural integrity of the site and advising investigators how to extract evidence.

“We have to balance two issues here: One is safety of the people entering the facility with the fact that we want the possible evidence inside the facility,” Bresland said.

The state has said its on-site investigation could take up to six months.

Federal investigators expect to investigate for another six weeks. The CSB is an independent federal agency that investigates major chemical accidents and recommends safety measures to prevent future incidents.

In North Carolina the agency recently investigated a 2003 dust explosion at a pharmaceutical plant in Kinston, a 2006 chemical explosion in Morganton and a hazardous waste fire in Apex, which occurred later that year.

CSB investigators have interviewed more than 120 witnesses who were at the plant. The CSB said it will be another nine to 12 months before they issue a final report on the incident.

“The public and the workforce at ConAgra are entitled to a clear explanation of exactly why this tragedy occurred,” Bresland said.

Returning to work

A small amount of normalcy has returned to the plant. Last week, some employees resumed work in the northern part of the building, which was determined to be safe by inspectors. The company has obtained permits to restore power and is seeking permission from the town to place temporary trailers at the site, local officials said.

Mayor Ronnie Williams is pleased that activity has safely resumed at the plant; he said he is prepared for an exhaustive investigation that yields accurate information about the incident.

In the meantime, he hopes that compassion for those affected by the incident stays strong throughout the community.

“I don’t want what I’m seeing now to go away soon.”

Related articles:

• Garner Council to get ConAgra update in closed session
• ConAgra laying off 300 from Garner plant
• Audio: Callers describe scene of explosion

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