FORT BEND COUNTY
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Imperial Sugar begins rebuilding after deadly explosion that killed 14
02:09 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 8, 2008
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. -- The nation’s second-largest sugar refinery is being rebuilt in Georgia after a deadly dust explosion in February killed 14 workers.
Imperial Sugar, based in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, Texas, broke ground Wednesday on three storage silos near Savannah.
The silos were demolished after fire fueled by millions of pounds of sugar burned inside them for several days after the blast. Dozens were injured.
The new silos will have special vents designed to minimize damage from dust explosions.
Officials say the refinery will start producing liquefied sugar again in November and crystalized sugar by February.
Federal officials say the explosion was likely caused when a bucket hauling sugar in a silo broke loose and hit metal siding, causing a spark that ignited accumulated sugar dust below.
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