Imperial Resumes Sugar Refining In Georgia

For the first time in 16 months since a deadly explosion at its plant, Imperial Sugar has resumed refining crystal sugar in Georgia. Top executives with the Texas-based company are scheduled to mark the new startup of the nation's second-largest sugar refinery today in Port Wentworth near Savannah. The explosion at the plant on Feb. 7 of last year killed 14 people.

No Questions For Chambliss In Imperial Sugar Case

Georgia U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss will not have to answer questions from a lawyer suing Imperial Sugar on behalf of victims of the refinery explosion last year. Chatham County judge Hermann Coolidge issued a one-paragraph ruling that effectively stops a subpoena issued for Chambliss to testify under deposition. Savannah attorney Mark Tate wanted to question the Senator on whether Imperial Sugar sought Chambliss’ help to defend the company. The February 7th, 2008 explosion at the Port Wentworth refinery killed 14 workers and injured dozens more. Senate attorneys had argued the U.S. Constitution gives Chambliss immunity from taking questions on business in civil lawsuits.

Chambliss faces subpoena

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss has been subpoenaed to answer questions about whether a sugar company enlisted him to escape blame in a deadly explosion at a Georgia refinery. Savannah attorney Mark Tate is representing four workers killed in the February 7th explosion in Port Wentworth near Savannah. Tate says his clients claim Chambliss tried to talk them out of suing the company. The subpoena comes just before the Nov. 4 election in which Chambliss is in a close race with Democrat Jim Martin.

(Associated Press)

Sugar refinery blast victim dies in Augusta

Another one of the victims of the Imperial Sugar Refinery explosion in Port Wentworth has died, bringing the death toll from the blast to 14.

Malcolm Frazier, 47, died from his burn injuries early this morning.

Frazier had been in critical condition for more than six months at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta.

One patient remains in critical condition.

'Graduation' for group of sugar refinery workers

Two dozen employees of the Imperial Sugar refinery near Savannah had a ‘graduation’ of sorts last night. The group of workers received certificates for their completion of a training program run in connection with Savannah Technical College. The workers completed 180 hours of training since June in a program to upgrade job skills. The program follows the deadly explosion at the Imperial sugar plant six months ago in Port Wentworth.

11th worker dies from sugar refinery explosion

A hospital spokeswoman says another patient has died from injuries suffered in the Imperial Sugar refinery explosion.

Beth Frits of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital says one of the hospital's 15 patients died Saturday evening. Hospital officials declined to release the patient's name.

A total of 11 workers died from the February 7 blast at the refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia.

Investigators say the explosion was fueled by airborne sugar dust but they have not yet determined what ignited the dust.

Fourteen other patients remained Sunday at the Augusta hospital, including 12 in critical condition and two in serious condition.

(The Associated Press)

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Sugar refinery explosion victim dies in Augusta

A victim of the Imperial Sugar refinery explosion near Savannah has died in Augusta, according to a spokeswoman with the Joseph M. Still Burn Center.

Michael Kelly Fields died at 2:14 a.m. Thursday.

Fourteen victims at the burn center remain in critical condition, while two are in serious condition.

Savannah refinery blast injures dozens, 6 missing

Six workers at a sugar refinery near Savannah are unaccounted for this morning after an explosion that injured at least 40-people, some critically.

The explosion happened around 8pm last night in a holding area for refined sugar at the Imperial Sugar Company’s massive plant just north of Savannah. The blast sent at least eight workers to a regional burn center in Augusta and pressed into service first responders region-wide. Matthew Stanley of the Savannah Fire Department says, fire-fighters suspended their search for missing workers when it became too dangerous.

"The structure is heavily damaged. It’s just not a good area for our crews to be working, particularly at night. It’s just not safe for them. And they have searched everywhere they possibly can in the areas where they can get. Hopefully, at first light, we can get a better idea of what we’re working with and get crews back in there".

Authorities won’t speculate on what caused the explosion, but they say, the fire is structural, not chemical. They expected still to be fighting the blaze this morning, due to its size. The building it engulfed is described as several hundred thousand square feet.

Fire-fighters strained local water supplies last night trying to quell the massive blaze in the town of Port Wentworth, just a few miles upriver from downtown Savannah. Jeff Farmberg of the town’s public works department said, some residents around the sugar refinery might not have full water service while crews are still on-scene.

"What I would like to do is ask anybody in Port Wentworth that is on the north side of I-95 that are experiencing any type of low water pressure just to deal with it for now. We’re experiencing some water pressure issues up in that area because we’re having to diver water this direction".

Tug boats on the Savannah River were helping to pump water to about forty fire-fighters working in rotating crews from aerial trucks. Traffic at the Port of Savannah was suspended and more than 5-hundred students at nearby Port Wentworth Elementary School were told to stay home today.