Thursday, 4:30 PM
Danvers blast probe prompts hazard inspections across state
(Justine Hunt/Globe Staff)
State Fire Marshall Stephen D. Coan announced findings today of a nearly six month investigation of an early morning explosion in Danvers on Nov. 22 that reverberated for 25 miles.
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
State officials announced today a plan to send hazard assessment inspection teams to 40 facilities in Massachusetts after investigators determined that a buildup of chemical vapors in a storage tank fueled an explosion at an ink-and-paint factory in Danvers last November that damaged some 270 houses and businesses and left hundreds homeless.
The blast was likely caused by the inadvertent heating of a tank of Heptane, a highly flammable colorless solvent commonly used in the production of inks, according to a report issued by State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan. While officials were not able to pinpoint what sparked the Heptane vapors, they ruled out several suspected ignition sources, including natural gas, methane gas, furnaces at the factory, and a dust collection system.
The findings, which were announced today at a press conference in Danvers, largely mirrored the preliminary conclusions of the US Chemical Safety Board in February. The team of federal investigators plans to release its final report at a town meeting in Danvers on Wednesday.
The explosion at 2:45 a.m. Nov. 22 reverberated for 25 miles and registered on the Richter scale at the Weston Observatory, but miraculously, no one was seriously injured or killed. The blast leveled the Water Street building used by CAI Inc., an ink manufacturer, and Arnel Co. Inc., a custom paint maker.
"It is a priority for Governor Patrick to prevent tragedies like this from taking place in the future," Ian Bowles, the secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said in a statement.
The state inspections will target small to mid-sized facilities deemed to post "a significant danger to populations in the event of a problem or accident," according to an outline of the project. While officials hope to perform the assessments in a “collaborative manner,” uncooperative facility owners will be subject to search warrants.
Investigators determined that Danvers explosion could be traced to a tank filled with 2,000 gallons of printing ink ingredients. Factory employees had filled the tank the day before the explosion and vapors likely built up overnight and sparked the blast, investigators said.
The explosion caused millions of dollars in damage and resulted in more than 200 insurance claims by homeowners and businesses. It cost the federal Environmental Protection Agency $1.3 million to clear hazardous debris from the blast site.
