As I reported back in November, the Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross shut down in the midst of an investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (USCSB) after a November 4th explosion that heavily damaged the refinery and surrounding homes. The refinery restarted its crude oil operations a couple of days ago even though the USCSB has not completed its investigation, and area residents are holding their collective breath.
Mike Redd, Vice President of Refining and Operations, said in a statement:
"We have been working nonstop since the November incident and are pleased that we can now start up Crude-Oil Unit One and have safe ongoing operations of that unit. Crude-Oil Unit One was not damaged in the explosion and has been thoroughly inspected since then."
"We will continue working with city and state officials, regulators and watchdog groups to achieve a sustainably safe future for our employees, their families and our community."
Cold comfort, I suppose, for area residents who still don’t have their homes repaired almost four months after the explosion. For its part, Silver Eagle claims that any delays have been caused by its insurance company and that it has been focused on improving its operations. It says that it has hired a third-party to monitor its equipment, piping, systems and procedures and that it has updated its mechanical integrity, its operating procedures and its training. Let’s hope they follow-through and let’s keep our fingers crossed for all impacted by the refinery.
Bret Hanna of Wrona DuBois in Utah, focuses exclusively on litigating plaintiffs’ medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has represented clients in state and federal courts, in mediations, and in administrative proceedings in Michigan and Utah since 1991.
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