17-02-2025
Contractor pays settlement for installing vessel that exploded at Givaudan without permit
The contractor that installed the pressure vessel that caused the deadly explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour plant in November without a permit paid $500 to settle the violation with Kentucky regulators, according to records obtained by The Courier Journal through an open records request.
Cochran Mechanical, LLC, the Elizabethtown-based contractor that installed the vessel that ultimately exploded and left two workers dead and several others injured, agreed to pay the settlement, "secure a permit" and "schedule and follow through with all required inspections" to resolve the violation with the Kentucky Department of Housing, Building and Construction, according to a signed copy of the settlement.
Prior to installing a vessel, contractors are required to obtain an installation permit, which notifies the department that an inspection needs to be performed. That never happened for the vessel that exploded and another vessel at the site, according to an investigation report written by Chief Boiler Inspector Mark Jordan.
Meaghan Schneider, an attorney for a law firm Cochran Mechanical, LLC hired to represent the company as the investigation into the Givaudan explosion unfolds, noted the vessel was installed in 2021, adding that it's unlikely the permitting violation had anything to do with the explosion.
The vessel's exact installation date is unclear. Records indicate it, along with the other vessel not inspected, were installed sometime after July 12, 2021, when a shop tasked with repairing them obtained repair permits from the commonwealth. There are no permitting or inspection records for the vessels since then, according to department records.
Jonathon "Max" Fuller, the department's commissioner, also wrote a letter to the Jefferson County Attorney's Criminal Division notifying the office of criminal penalties that could be brought against Givaudan, the plant operator. The letter explains that operating a pressure vessel in Kentucky without a valid certificate of inspection is a Class B misdemeanor and that each day in violation counts as a separate offense.
Fuller's letter says he reached out because his department does not have authority over the plant operator.
"Should you wish to pursue criminal penalties, the Department stands ready to assist," the letter reads.
A spokesperson from Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell's office did not say whether the office plans to pursue criminal charges.
"Our office is not an investigative agency. The Jefferson County Attorney's Office routinely reviews materials submitted by investigative agencies for potential criminal charges and takes appropriate action," said Josh Abner, a spokesperson for the office.
Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@ or @bkillian72 on X.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Givaudan explosion: Vessel installer settles with Kentucky
