For years, neighbors living near the Louisville, Kentucky plant have complained to each other and to local officials about various strange odors coming from the plant, which produces food and beverage dyes.
Some described it as an ammonia-like smell, while others said it was more like burnt sugar or burnt caramel. They were a little worried about living so close to the factory, but they didn’t expect what happened Tuesday, when an explosion killed two factory workers, blew out windows and tore pieces off nearby roofs.
“I always thought about it, as if this was not safe – it seems so – because there was always a big steam coming from that place at night.
But I never thought this would happen. I didn’t think anything was going to explode,” said Shelby Dix, 31, who lives in an apartment in an apartment building across an alley from the factory property.
The explosion injured another 11 employees of Givaudan Sense Color and caused a partial collapse of the building. Three remained in hospital on Wednesday.
“We grieve with the families, friends and loved ones of those lost and injured at this very difficult time,” the Switzerland-based company said in a statement.
Amanda Strecker, who lived in a townhouse near the plant from 2018 to 2022, said she had long been concerned about the ammonia-like smell.
“While we were living there, we felt that something was going to happen. It was just a matter of time,” she said. “We had a lot of problems with chemical odors in the air, we reported it to the local environmental protection office, and they came out and found nothing.”
During the first few years Strecker lived in the neighborhood, the factory was owned by DD Williamson & Co. Givaudan bought the factory in 2021.
“At one point I had the number of the plant manager and I would call them and let them know, ‘Hey, something’s wrong.’ They had a lot of problems there,” Strecker said.
In April 2003, while the factory was owned by DD Williamson, a tank exploded, killing a worker. Federal investigators determined the tank exploded because it was missing a pressure relief valve, which was removed when it was moved to the Louisville plant in 1989.
Officials said they have not yet determined what caused Tuesday’s explosion. Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said the building contained hazardous chemicals — typical of factories of that type — and that firefighters did not immediately know if any were at risk.
He said air and runoff monitoring turned up nothing.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said employees inside the plant initially told officials “everything was normal when the explosion happened.”
“This is an incredibly sad and tragic incident,” Greenberg said. “I want the families of the two victims to know that the hearts of all Louisvillians are with them.”
As of February 2021, the plant was making caramel colors for the food industry by heating sugar and water and adding chemicals such as aqueous ammonia for some products, according to permit documents filed with the Louisville Metro Air Pollution District.
At the time of the permits, the factory was still owned by DD Williamson & Co., which was founded in 1865 and initially supplied malt to brewing companies, later developed colors for soft drinks, and more recently produced natural colors for food and beverage companies. drink.
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The equipment used by DDW included several cookers for coloring the liquid caramel, as well as a spray dryer and three cyclones for cooling. It also had two natural gas boilers.
Swiss flavor and fragrance company Givaudan acquired DDW in 2021. Givaudan Sense Color offers a range of “natural colors, caramel colors, roasted sugars and fruit and vegetable-based browns” for the beverage market, according to its website.
Givaudan spokesmen did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment Wednesday.
Carly Johnson, her husband and their 4-year-old son were at home when they heard a “crazy loud noise”, felt their house shake and heard things fall from the walls and shelves as if a bomb had gone off.
During the 12 years the family lived around the block from the factory, they smelled what Johnson described as “a strange smell of burnt sugar.” She and her husband were worried about living so close to the plant, knowing about the explosion two decades ago.
But she said she thought that since so much time had passed and such a traumatic event had happened there, “they would do everything they could to prevent this from happening again.”
“The windows and everything can be replaced. I’m just mad that my son is going through that. That’s what makes me mad the most,” she said.
The Louisville Fire Department is leading the investigation with the help of state and federal partners. A reconstruction team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives headed to Louisville to help determine the cause of the explosion.
Givaudan said in an earlier statement that it was cooperating with the authorities.