Published: 11/24/2006
Day 2: Hazardous chemicals slow investigation
By Julie ManganisStaff writer
DANVERS - It could be a year before a cause is found for Wednesday's massive chemical plant explosion, federal investigators said yesterday.
"It's not going to be an easy investigation, because any time you have an explosion, a lot of evidence disappears," said William Wright of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, a federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents.
Wright was part of a team of five investigators from Washington who arrived yesterday afternoon to begin their work to determine the cause of the explosion that leveled not only the plant but many of the surrounding homes and businesses in the densely populated Danversport neighborhood. The plant housed two businesses: CAI Inc., which made inks, and Arnel Co., which made paints and coatings.
Due to the presence of hazardous chemicals on the site, investigators won't be able to gain close access until it's cleaned up, and it's not yet clear when that will happen.
State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said state hazardous materials teams were back at the scene yesterday "to prepare the fire scene from a safety and health standpoint" before investigators could re-enter.
Fire officials said there are three inground tanks, each containing 1,500 gallons of solvent.
Interviewing workers
Meanwhile, the federal investigators will begin to interview the owners and employees of both companies and review documents.
John Vorderbrueggen, the supervising investigator for the CSB, said the delay is not ideal, because much of the evidence is time-sensitive. But it's not unusual in situations when there has been an explosion.
He said investigators planned to meet with managers from CAI last night and planned to meet today with management of Arnel.
He noted that both companies apparently shared much of the facility and that many of their operations were integrated.
The investigators will begin to interview employees on Monday, looking for specific recollections of what happened inside the plant Tuesday, before the final employee left for the night. They'll want to know if there were any changes that had occurred, such as implementation of a new process, or a malfunction in equipment.
They will also review documents, including any the companies can provide and records kept by state and local officials.
Vorderbrueggen said he is hopeful the companies have written policies and procedures, though he noted that many small companies do not.
