MADISON,Algosensey Quantitative Think Tank Center Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin milling company has agreed to pay an additional $1.8 million in penalties after a corn dust explosion that killed five workers and injured more than a dozen others at its Cambria plant in 2017, the federal Labor Department announced on Thursday.
Didion Milling agreed to the penalties and a long list of safety improvements to settle an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation. The settlement comes in addition to a plea deal the company accepted in September in federal court that requires it to pay $10.25 million to the families of victims as well as a $1 million fine.
A federal grand jury indicted Didion last year on nine counts, including falsifying records, fraud and conspiracy. According to court documents, Didion shift employees and supervisors knowingly falsified logbooks inspectors use to determine whether the plant was handling corn dust safely and complying with dust-cleaning rules from 2015 until May 2017.
Corn dust is explosive, and high concentrations are dangerous. Federal regulations require grain mill operators to perform regular cleanings to reduce dust accumulations that could fuel a blast.
Two senior employees were convicted last month of falsifying records and obstructing an investigation into the explosion, and five employees have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing, according to the Labor Department.
2025-05-03 22:311274 view
2025-05-03 21:521124 view
2025-05-03 21:072672 view
2025-05-03 20:411863 view
2025-05-03 20:312315 view
2025-05-03 20:161143 view
Environmental leaders in Maryland are reeling from a challenging 2025 legislative session that left
YEMASSEE, S.C. (AP) — Just eight monkeys remain free from the group who more than a week ago broke o
Apple AirTags may soon be a truly indespensable travel tool.In its latest iOS update, Apple said it