US Ecology ‘fiercely focused’ on determining cause of Idaho explosion, officials say

Multiple agencies have launched investigations into the Saturday explosion at a hazardous waste site in southwestern Idaho that killed one worker, injured three others and heavily damaged a building, officials said.

US Ecology, which runs the site, said 48-year-old Monte “Alex” Green of Grand View, died of his injuries from the explosion at 9:23 a.m. inside one of the buildings at the facility.

According to a Sunday press release from US Ecology, the company’s executive team was at the job site Sunday, alongside the Environmental Protection Agency’s Boise team and OSHA.

“Both internal and external investigations are being conducted,” the company said in the release.

The release also quoted US Ecology chairman and CEO Jeff Feeler.

“Today is an exceptionally hard day for our team. As we mourn the loss of one of our own, we are also moving forward to try and figure out exactly what happened. US Ecology is committed to finding the cause and working closely with the agencies and teams on site to ensure a thorough investigation,” Feeler said in the release.

Green was working as an equipment operator moving materials at the time of the accident, the company told the AP. He had worked there since 2014.

Three others received treatment for non-life threatening injuries, the company said. A total of 15 US Ecology employees were working during the time of the explosion. The facility is about 50 miles south of Boise.

“Most of the skin has been blown out, and much of the metal has been bent,” Simon Bell, the company’s vice president of operations and chief operating officer, said of the building. “It would have been a large explosion based on the damage to the building.”

Bell said employees were doing routine work at the time of the blast, but he didn’t want to speculate on the cause.

“Since we had an explosion there was something out of the ordinary, and we will be fiercely focused on understanding what that is,” he said.

The company takes in contaminants such as arsenic, lead, zinc, cadmium and other metals that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has deemed hazardous and converts them to non-hazardous residues, minimizing the long-term risks of disposal.

The company then buries them at the site, which Bell said is about 200 acres. Bell said the company is working with emergency responders by providing maps of the facility and where various hazardous wastes are being stored.

There’s no threat to the public, and emergency crews, including a hazardous materials team, were at the site, Owyhee County spokeswoman Angela Barkell said. The facility is about 10 miles east of the small town of Grand View, and about a mile from a highway.

“No immediate threat has been identified, and no evacuations have taken place,” Barkell said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.

Emergency officials said the building where the explosion occurred is used to process powdered magnesium products. Officials said a series of chemical reactions followed the initial blast.

The three people who are being treated at hospitals and expected to recover.

Bell said the company, which also has facilities in other states, has never had such a serious incident.

“Our focus is on the families of those affected by the accident, supporting the first responders, and making sure our employees are cared for and updated on what’s happening in this process,” he said in an earlier statement.

On Sunday afternoon, several Idaho lawmakers expressed their condolences over the accident, as well.

“I want to deliver my deepest condolences to all who were impacted by Saturday’s accident at US Ecology. We know US Ecology, their employees, and first responders have worked tirelessly in the aftermath of this event. As the investigation continues, more ansers will be available. As for now, we are focused on the needs of employees and the Grand View community,” said Rep. Scott Bedke, who was acting governor over the weekend. (Gov. Butch Otter was in Taiwan for business meetings, while Lt. Gov. Brad Little was in Colorado, officials said.)

Sen. Bert Brackett and Rep. Megan Blanksma, both from Grand View’s legislative District 23, also included statements in the release.

“Our hearts go out to the people of Grand View today, particularly to the family and friends of Alex Green,” Brackett sfaid in the release. “... It is truly hearbreaking to know some residents will not be able to return to their jobs as usual on Monday.”

Blanksma said she has toured the site as “part of (her) legislative duties.”

“I have experienced first-hand their unending commitment to safety. This has been a tragic accident. My focus is on helping residents cope with loss while working with authorities as investigations into the accident continue,” she said.

Idaho Statesman reporter Nicole Blanchard contributed to this article.

This story was originally published November 18, 2018 at 1:37 PM.