One injured in gas explosion at Marshall Power Plant Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Arron Hustead/Staff Writer
The Marshall Power Plant, where one employee was injured in a gas explosion Tuesday afternoon, July 19. No update on the employee's condition was available, though he reportedly left the facility under his own power.
(Arron Hustead/Democrat-News) A gas explosion at the Marshall Power Plant resulted injury for one unnamed Marshall Municipal Utilities employee Tuesday, July 19.
No update to the employee's condition could be provided, though he reportedly was able to walk from the facility under his own power. MMU was in the process of testing the two power generators located in the facility, Units No. 4 and No. 5, to prepare for a planned maximum operation test run sometime next week. The explosion occurred while employees were in the process of testing the gas pilot for Unit No. 5. General Manager Kyle Gibbs said the unit had not been in operation for approximately a year.
The unit, installed in 1967, had been capable of burning either coal or gas. Gibbs said the unit would likely never be started again and have to be replaced with something else, though both decisions would have to be made by the Board of Public Works.
Gibbs reported significant damage to the unit and the plant, which was shut down pending a safety inspection. Approximately 15 employees were reported in the facility at the time of the explosion. Gibbs said they were very lucky to have not had worse injuries result from the incident.