Iowa plant had no working fire alarm, sprinkler system or emergency plan at time of Dec. explosion

Records KCCI Investigates received through a public records request show C6-Zero did not take precautions to prevent vapors from igniting, employees were not given proper training on hazardous chemicals and the plant had no working emergency action plan at the time of the explosion.

Records KCCI Investigates received through a public records request show C6-Zero did not take precautions to prevent vapors from igniting, employees were not given proper training on hazardous chemicals and the plant had no working emergency action plan at the time of the explosion.

WARNINGS AND A FULL FORECAST. KCCI INVESTIGATES JUST UNCOVERED NEW INFORMATION ABOUT AN EXPLOSION IN A SMALL IOWA TOWN LAST DECEMBER. C6 ZERO WAS A SHINGLE RECYCLING PLANT THAT BLEW UP IN MARENGO, ABOUT A DOZEN PEOPLE WERE HURT. CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER JAMES STRATTON IS HERE TONIGHT WITH NEW DOCUMENTS SHOWING THE VIOLATION CARNES THE COMPANY RECEIVED. JAMES AND STACY 389 PAGES LAY OUT THE VIOLATIONS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE STATE AND THE $95,000 PENALTY THAT THE COMPANY PAID. AND IOWA OSHA FULFILLED A KCCI INVESTIGATOR RECORDS REQUEST JUST THIS AFTERNOON AFTER C6 ZERO PAID THAT FINE. THIS WAS THE SCENE WHEN THAT BUILDING IN MARENGO EXPLODED LAST DECEMBER. IT SENT THAT THICK BLACK SMOKE INTO THE AIR. COULD BE SEEN FOR MILES IN TOWNS AROUND EASTERN IOWA. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE INSIDE AFTER THE EXPLOSION. A MECHANICAL FAILURE ON A MACHINE IGNITED FLAMMABLE VAPORS AND EXPLODED. EMPLOYEES AND PEOPLE ON A TOUR INSIDE THE PLANT. ALL HURT. ACCORDING TO DOCUMENTS, OSHA DOCUMENTS SHOW THE COMPANY DID NOT TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT VAPORS FROM IGNITING. WHAT THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL SAID STARTED THE FIRE. DOCUMENTS SHOW THE COMPANY DID NOT HAVE A WORKING FIRE ALARM OR SPRINKLER SYSTEM INSIDE CLYDE. PLUS, EMPLOYEES WERE NOT GIVEN PROPER TRAINING ON WORKING WITH HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS ON SCENE. THE NEXT DAY, THE OSHA INVESTIGATOR WAS NOT ALLOWED INTO THE BUILDING. IT’S UNCLEAR WHEN OSHA DID FINALLY GET INTO INSPECT THAT FACILITY. EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE H.R. DEPARTMENT SHOWS THE COMPANY WAS NOT FULLY OPERATIONAL. THE GOAL WAS TO BREAK DOWN SHINGLES INTO FUEL. THESE PHOTOS FROM OSHA SHOW PART OF THAT PROCESS. IT WAS PILOTING THAT PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT FROM OCTOBER 20TH, 22 UNTIL THE DAY OF THE EXPLOSION LAST DECEMBER. WE HAVE CALLED AN EMAILED LAWYERS FOR THE COMPANY. THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO US TONIGHT. C6 ZERO ALSO DID NOT NOTIFY OSHA OF THE EXPLOSION LIKE IT WAS REQUIRED TO SINCE IT SENT PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL WITHIN 24 HOURS. RECORDS SHOW OSHA FIRST SAW THE EXPLOSION.

Iowa plant had no working fire alarm, sprinkler system or emergency plan at time of Dec. explosion

An Iowa company was fined $95,711 and had no working emergency plan, fire alarm or sprinkler system at the time of an explosion that hurt several employees, newly released records show.C6- Zero exploded on Dec. 8, sending a plume of smoke seen for miles. Fire departments and first responders from as far as 50 miles away responded to the scene. The company, according to its website, broke down roofing shingles into three different products, sand, oil and fiberglass and recycled them. Once the fine was given by Iowa OSHA and the case was closed, KCCI Investigates filed a public records request for documents and photos related to the case and penalties issued by OSHA. The 389-page document describes the infractions and fines the company received, along with email correspondence between the state and the company. C6-Zero received two citations that were later deleted after an informal settlement, they were for not having a fire alarm and not notifying OSHA of the hospitalization of an employee within 24 hours. The company received 13 other infractions, including not having a proper sprinkler system, not having an emergency action plan, not taking the proper precautions to prevent vapors from igniting, not properly training employees for handling hazardous chemicals and more.State investigators say the fire was accidental and started after flammable vapors ignited and exploded due to a mechanical failure. Employees, and people on a tour inside the plan, were hurt. Records also show OSHA investigators were notified about the explosion through reporting on KCCI. Email correspondence between the company and the state shows the company was not fully operational at the time of the explosion and was still testing and evaluating its process."C6-Zero has not begun full production," the company's HR director wrote to the state in an email dated Dec. 20, 2022. "We have been piloting the process and the equipment since October 2022. The machines were not running on a consistent basis or at high volume. They were routinely shut down for testing, evaluation, and adjustment." KCCI Investigates called and emailed lawyers for the company, but none responded as of 5:00 on Thursday evening.Photos released by Iowa OSHA show the aftermath near what appears to be the explosion area.

MARENGO, Iowa —

An Iowa company was fined $95,711 and had no working emergency plan, fire alarm or sprinkler system at the time of an explosion that hurt several employees, newly released records show.

C6- Zero exploded on Dec. 8, sending a plume of smoke seen for miles. Fire departments and first responders from as far as 50 miles away responded to the scene.

The company, according to its website, broke down roofing shingles into three different products, sand, oil and fiberglass and recycled them.

Once the fine was given by Iowa OSHA and the case was closed, KCCI Investigates filed a public records request for documents and photos related to the case and penalties issued by OSHA. The 389-page document describes the infractions and fines the company received, along with email correspondence between the state and the company.

C6-Zero received two citations that were later deleted after an informal settlement, they were for not having a fire alarm and not notifying OSHA of the hospitalization of an employee within 24 hours. The company received 13 other infractions, including not having a proper sprinkler system, not having an emergency action plan, not taking the proper precautions to prevent vapors from igniting, not properly training employees for handling hazardous chemicals and more.

State investigators say the fire was accidental and started after flammable vapors ignited and exploded due to a mechanical failure. Employees, and people on a tour inside the plan, were hurt.

Records also show OSHA investigators were notified about the explosion through reporting on KCCI.

How did Iowa OSHA find out about the explosion at C-6 Zero in Marengo last December?

From @kccinews reporters on scene... pic.twitter.com/VHy3yOOdS0
— James Stratton (@StrattonWISN) June 29, 2023

Email correspondence between the company and the state shows the company was not fully operational at the time of the explosion and was still testing and evaluating its process.

"C6-Zero has not begun full production," the company's HR director wrote to the state in an email dated Dec. 20, 2022. "We have been piloting the process and the equipment since October 2022. The machines were not running on a consistent basis or at high volume. They were routinely shut down for testing, evaluation, and adjustment."

KCCI Investigates called and emailed lawyers for the company, but none responded as of 5:00 on Thursday evening.

Photos released by Iowa OSHA show the aftermath near what appears to be the explosion area.

Hearst OwnedIowa OSHA

Iowa plant had no working fire alarm, sprinkler system or emergency plan at time of Dec. explosion

Records KCCI Investigates received through a public records request show C6-Zero did not take precautions to prevent vapors from igniting, employees were not given proper training on hazardous chemicals and the plant had no working emergency action plan at the time of the explosion.

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