Officials say power failure behind International Paper mill explosion
The company now estimates costs related to the explosion will be between $80 million and $120 million.
As International Paper’s Cantonment mill resumed full operations this week, the company has released more details about the Jan. 22 explosion.
Spokeswoman Janice Holmes said Tuesday that the mill experienced a power failure the day before the explosion because of an electrical fault in the power distribution system. The power failure forced the mill out of operation, which caused gas to build up in an on-site pulp digester. That is what officials believe ultimately caused the explosion.
The company’s preliminary findings released March 9 show that when the digester was out of operation for an extended period of time, the gases built up and created an “explosive atmosphere.”
Costs related to the incident are now estimated to be between $80 million and $120 million, according to a press release published Monday on the company’s website. The release notes the bulk of the expenses will likely be covered by insurance.
During the cleanup, officials said they couldn’t be certain what was released into the air immediately after the explosion. They said some of the debris was made of black liquor, a chemical used to break down wood fibers in the paper-making process.
The mill returned to partial operations about a month after the explosion.
