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The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is deploying investigators to Tennessee this week, now that federal ATF teams have completed much of their work at a military explosives plant that blew up Oct. 10 and killed 16 people.

The CSB, an independent, nonregulatory federal agency that investigates hazardous substance releases, said that until recently, access to the site near McEwen, Tennessee, was restricted while the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives crews removed undetonated explosives and analyzed debris.

The ATF has estimated that 24,000 to 28,000 pounds of explosives detonated at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant. The blast may have originated in an area of the facility where mixed explosive materials were heated in production kettles, ATF’s preliminary investigation has found, the CSB said in a statement. According to the ATF, other explosive materials located on the same floor of the facility also exploded after the original blast.

Besides the fatalities, the blast injured several other workers and essentially destroyed the facility. AES manufactured and stored explosives for military and industrial use, and employed more than 100 workers, many from surrounding communities.

The director of a worker-safety group known as the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health said this month that the explosion likely could have been prevented, and that workers across the country face similar risks from reduced safety measures and enforcement.

The Chemical Board team was expected to arrive at the AES site this week. The agency already has requested a range of information and materials from the company about the facility and its operations, the CSB said.

The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and are subject to U.S. Senate confirmation. The board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.

Photo: The aftermath at the military explosives manufacturing plant in Hickman County, on Oct. 10. (WTVF-TV via AP)

Topics Tennessee