Safety board chief: Blast likely was preventable

The head of a federal safety agency said today that proper house-keeping probably would have prevented the deadly explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery near Savannah last month.

U.S. Chemical Safety Board Executive William Wright told Congress that reports indicated snow-like accumulations of dust at the refinery, where an explosion killed twelve people. Sugar dust is the suspected cause. Imperial Sugar C.E.O. John Sheptor says, it's still too early to draw conclusions.

"The Port Wentworth facility has had a comprehensive house-keeping program," Sheptor says. "The investigation is ongoing."

Democrats are calling for new regulations on industrial dust, while the Bush administration, business groups and Savannah Republican Jack Kingston are pushing a go-slow approach. Sheptor says, if the new rules are to learn from the Port Wentworth disaster, they should wait for an official cause.