Officials from DuPont’s Belle, W.Va., chemical plant issued a short statement today, updating the public on their internal safety review. Here it is:
The DuPont Belle plant remains on the voluntary safety stand-down that was implemented on January 23. The purpose of the voluntary pause in production is to allow assessments related to safe operations.
We will restart production when we are fully convinced that we will be able to do so safely. During this voluntary pause in production, we have made progress in conducting plant-wide safety checks. When appropriate, our restart will take place in an orderly and staged fashion.
Later this week, we will have completed the safety assessment work on one of the units which was not involved in any of the incidents. We anticipate that we will startup the process at that time. We will monitor the unit closely to ensure continued safe operation. Over time, we will continue with the staged resumption of operations as we determine that we can do so safely.
DuPont is continuing its thorough investigation of the three incidents. In addition to the DuPont investigation, state and federal agencies, including the Chemical Safety Board, OSHA and the EPA, are conducting their own investigations. We are cooperating fully with these agencies, as well as with other federal, state and local officials. The investigators are inspecting equipment and reviewing operating procedures, among other safety-focused tasks.
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Start up and shut down are two of the most dangerous times in chemical manufacturing. Let’s hope this stand-down was successful in addressing all of the safety measures that needed addressed. Our hearts go out to Mr. Fish’s family, friends and co-workers.