Wood pellet mill faces OSHA fines
A Strong wood pellet facility that sustained an explosion at its mill in August now faces $27,000 in fines from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Geneva Wood Fuels LLC faces six citations related to workplace safety standards following the explosion at the wood pellet manufacturing facility, according to the Sun Journal. The citations, announced yesterday, include deficiencies in construction and design of the pellet processing system, the use of unapproved equipment that could produce sparks, and a failure to train employees to prevent the ignition of wood dust. OSHA officials said the plant's combustible dust triggered the explosion, which caused $8 million in damages at the Franklin County mill.
Plant owner Jonathan Kahn of Chicago said he was surprised by the citations and he is scheduled to meet with OSHA officials in Augusta next week to discuss the proposed fines, according to the paper. He plans to argue some of OSHA's findings and expects some fines to be waived, he said. Geneva Wood Fuels LLC opened in March 2009 in the former Forster Manufacturing mill. Kahn told the Sun Journal he plans to rebuild the mill and reopen by early summer.
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