Sun Nov 08 2009
By TODD HELBERG
An explosion which has halted operations at a Defiance business has been followed up with several fire code citations while federal agencies continue their investigations.
Defiance Fire Chief Mark Marentette said violations have been issued against American Ag Fuels, 815 Greenler St., following an explosion and fire there on Jan. 3. Meanwhile, the federal Occupational Safety and Hazardous Administration (OSHA) and the Ohio EPA are also investigating the incident.
The mid-afternoon blast injured several employees, including one seriously -- Roger Burditt of McClure -- who had been hospitalized at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, before being released.
According to Marentette, citations issued by the Defiance Fire Department were made under Sec. 3737.42 of the Ohio Revised Code.
They include:
-- improperly placarding of a methanol tank. According to officials, the tank was located east of where the fire occurred and had no label or placard.
-- improper storage of a class I flammable, specifically sodium methylate. Marentette said eight plastic "totes" of this chemical where supposed to be stored in a protected area but were found in a production area.
-- failure to comply with the fire division's orders to identify and remove all flammable, combustible and hazardous materials from the site. This order was issued immediately after the explosion, Marentette said.
Contacted Friday, Steve Lankenau of American Ag Fuels had no comment on the citations.
Marentette claims that the "manner in which American Ag Fuels stored, handled and processed hazardous materials is an underlying cause of the incident of Jan. 3."
He also said that the fire department inspected the American Ag Fuels site in June that "resulted in code enforcement efforts by both the fire and rescue and building inspection divisions. These code enforcement efforts were still ongoing at the time of the explosion."
Marentette added: "During our post-incident investigation we have learned of unsafe practices that occurred on the site. We have also learned that accumulation of flammable vapor had occurred on prior occasions in the building that was destroyed by the blast."
While company officials deal with the fire department citations, they could also face sanctions from OSHA or Ohio EPA.
Juli Hovi, OSHA's Toledo area director, said the OSHA investigation "is still open and ongoing." She couldn't provide details, but said the investigation must be completed within six months.
"When OSHA does an inspection of a company where we find safety and health laws have been broken, we can issue citations and these can have monetary penalties attached," said Hovi.
Despite that, Lankenau said OSHA's involvement could be positive.
"They are doing a complete investigation and actually looking to work with us on some level," he said. "They are also looking at a bigger picture due to what happened so they can create some guidelines and practices for biodiesel plants generally across the country."
While some city officials question whether the plant may return to production anytime soon, Lankenau is optimistic.
"I am very optimistic about our future," he said. "Basically, right now we are consumed with all the details of the incident."
For now, the plant remains closed.
And, Defiance city administrator Jeff Leonard said the fire department remains "in charge of the site."
"When the fire department is done with the site, our building inspection department will evaluate it and work with the owners to ensure that the building is stable and can conform to their use," said Leonard.
According to Lankenau, the company employees 10 full-time persons and five part-timers.
He said Burditt -- the most seriously injured employee -- is "coming along well" although he has some "healing to do."
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