Search pressed for cause of deadly Middletown blast

Some investigators began to sift through the rubble of the Kleen Energy Systems power plant in Middletown Tuesday and others interviewed workers in an attempt to learn what caused Sunday's deadly blast.

Co-workers and families were in shock over the deaths of five men, and Gov. M. Jodi Rell declared today an official day of mourning.

Some of the workers who survived said they were working at the plant more than 80 hours per week and one employee said workers smelled gas less than an hour before and were told to open doors wider for air.

Edward R. Artale, president of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777, declined to comment when reached Tuesday evening, saying he and the union's business manager, Hubert J. Barnes, would issue a statement sometime after 8 a.m. today from the group's Meriden headquarters.

Two of the dead and many of the injured were members of the union.

The search for the cause of the massive explosion continued Tuesday as workers tried to complete much of the evidence-gathering and stabilizing before today's expected snowfall and the expiration of a search warrant at midnight.

"Officials are concerned with an anticipated snowstorm which is expected to hit the region," according to a news release from the Mayor Sebastian Giuliano's office. "South Fire District continues to work on mitigating site hazards."

That included locating pressurized cylinders on the property that may have been damaged in the blast and could still pose a safety risk.

Besides the five killed Sunday, dozens were injured when an explosion occurred at the plant along the Connecticut River around 11:30 a.m. The blast occurred as crews for the contractor, O&G Industries, were clearing gas lines of air and foreign matter.

Middletown Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano said what caused the blast is still unclear. He said he had no information about media reports that cited a welder's torch may have been left on while the gas lines were being purged.

A day of remembrance

As the investigation progressed, those killed in the blast were fondly remembered by friends and honored by state leaders. Flags will fly at half-staff today and a moment of silence will be observed at 11 a.m.

Ronald J. Crabb of Colchester, Raymond Dobratz of Old Saybrook, Peter Chepulis of Thomaston, Roy Rushton of Ontario, Canada, and Chris Walters of Florissant, Mo., were killed.

Crabb, a father of two, was a pipefitter who served on the Colchester Board of Finance for six years.

"He was a tremendous family man and was a guy who had a unique ability to come into a bad situation and make it better," said John Malsbenden, chairman of the Democratic Town Committee.

Bruce Hayn, the finance board chairman, had known Crabb for about seven years. "He's the guy you wanted to have as your neighbor," he said. "If you really wanted to get him to light up, you'd get him to talk about his son or get him to talk about hunting or fishing."

Hayn said Crabb's family was flying in to be with Crabb's wife, Jodi Thomas, who is a probate judge in the town. "You're just trying to wrap your arms around something like this," he said. "For this to happen to him is not right."

Chepulis and Dobratz and the majority of those injured were members of Local 777, officials said. Counseling is available all week for union members at Middletown City Hall.

Pipefitter Joseph Scovish of Oakdale was one of those injured, said New London attorney Robert Reardon, who is representing Scovish. He said Scovish was saved because he was inside a construction trailer next to the building. The trailer was blown off its mounts and landed on its side, Reardon said, adding that Scovish was tossed about in the trailer and knocked unconscious. When he awoke, people were tending to him, Reardon said.

Reardon said Scovish was too traumatized to talk about the incident and was seeking counseling. He added that Scovish was fortunate; he didn't break any bones but has neck and back pain.

Reardon said the workers on-site were under tremendous pressure to finish the job. "There is no question about it that the job was being rushed," he said. "That they had to get it done by the summer and they were behind schedule. We don't know exactly what caused this at this point but the pressure to finish a job quickly had to affect their safety. It always does."

Reardon said Dobratz was Scovish's direct supervisor and that Scovish had seen Dobratz minutes before the explosion.

"He's really torn up about it," Reardon said. "He was a dear friend."

Paul Gaskins, who was less than 100 feet from the pipefitters, was working on a steam turbine when he was blown out the side of the building from the explosion's force. Gaskins, 49, of Holly Ridge, N.C., compared it to the sudden ferocity of a lightning strike or a wartime explosive.

Gaskins told the Associated Press he initially did not feel the concussion and injuries he suffered to his arms, neck, fingers and leg. As he started to stand up, he was struck by debris raining down from the upper part of the building.

In the moments afterward, Gaskins said, the most seriously injured people stayed on the ground while others hurried to help them. Some tried to get away from the area, afraid of being hit by more falling debris.

"It was like you were in a war zone without guns, that's the best way to describe it," he said. "It was very quick and very deadly."

In a quarterly report to the Connecticut Siting Council dated Jan. 15, a lawyer for Kleen Energy said the construction project was ahead of schedule. While the commercial operation date was set for Nov. 30, 2010, attorney Lee D. Hoffman said that "it is currently estimated that the project will come on line in the summer of 2010" and that Kleen Energy had notified operators of the regional power grid.

Though they were working long days, Gaskins said, employees did not feel rushed or stressed.

"We worked 12 to 13 hours a day, every day. There's no weekend; Sundays were just another day," he said. "Nobody was snapping the whip - it was just a normal day. Nobody was in a rush, it was nothing like that."

A Mass honoring the victims is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Feb. 22 at St. Mary's Church in Middletown.

A risky business

The nearly completed 620-megawatt plant is intended to produce energy primarily using natural gas, which accounts for about a fifth of the nation's electricity generation.

Kleen Energy Systems LLC began construction on the plant in February 2008. The company had signed a deal with Connecticut Light & Power to buy the electricity produced by the plant, which would be one of the biggest built in New England in the last few years.

On Monday, state and federal officials called for panels and committee hearings on the cause of the explosion and any regulation changes needed.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which investigates chemical accidents, voted last week to approve new safety recommendations for purging gas lines: to vent gases outdoors and use detectors to monitor gas levels while purging the lines. If that's not possible, all nonessential workers will be required to leave the area.

On Monday, Santostefano said he was told all safety protocols were followed.

State police from the Major Crime Squad and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other local, state and federal agencies are investigating the possibility of criminal negligence.

On Monday, officials said they believed the origin of the blast was outside between two generators in the rear of the facility.

A portion of the facility that was most heavily damaged was deemed unsafe Monday for investigators to enter and crews were working to shore up that part of the structure Monday. On Tuesday, Santostefano said inspectors took another look at that portion and deemed it safe, but investigators were focusing on the area of origin of the blast.

Day staff writer Izaskun E. Larrañeta contributed to this report.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.