Investigators Remove Evidence From Kleen Energy Plant

Investigators on Tuesday removed several key pieces of evidence, including combustible-gas detectors that could have alerted workers that there was a potentially dangerous buildup, from the scene of the Kleen Energy power plant explosion in which five people died.

That move, and a failure to allow federal chemical investigators to review evidence or interview witnesses, angered the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and brought to a boil a simmering dispute between local and state law enforcement officers and the federal investigators over who has access to the blast site.

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"It seems strange that while federal regulators like OSHA and CSB are escorted around the perimeter of the site, there are employees of the company that supposedly would be a possible target of any criminal investigation walking around the alleged crime scene unfettered," said a source who has visited the site.

The source was referring to employees of O&G Industries, the general contractor for the project and the company in charge of the Sunday morning purging of the gas line that is believed to have led to the explosion.

The Chemical Safety Board has a crew of 10 experts in Connecticut, but they have had limited access to the site. They met with state police officials early Tuesday and were told that "the criminal investigation has precedence over the federal regulators," according to Daniel Horowitz, a spokesman for the safety board.

"The CSB investigation has been marginalized at the site," Horowitz said. "In effect, the experts in these type of accidents have been kept out of the investigation."

Sources said that police removed security cameras, gas analyzers and some of the gas cylinders that had been used for welding and other operations. They said that investigators have determined that the blast occurred outside, in an area called the courtyard, a rectangular space between two smokestacks.

Investigators are still trying to determine why there was a buildup of natural gas outside the main power block building, where the two gas turbines are located. On Sunday morning, officials from Kleen Energy and O&G Industries were completing a purging of the system by running natural gas through the line.

At least one worker complained of smelling gas outside the building during the testing. Sources said that the blast occurred when a welder lit his torch, igniting the natural gas that had built up.

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The state medical examiner's office Tuesday ruled the deaths of the five workers accidental. Peter Chepulis, 48, of Thomaston; Raymond Dobratz, 58, of Old Saybrook; Chris Walters, 48, of Florissant, Mo.; and Roy Rushton, 36, of Hamilton, Ontario, all died of multiple blunt traumatic injury. Ronald J. Crabb, 42, of Colchester, died of head and neck trauma. There were 27 people injured.

Investigators decided to remove the evidence because of a pending snowstorm and fear that potential evidence could get damaged or ruined in the bad weather.

Investigators have been making progress and planned to work until midnight Tuesday to get as much work done as possible before the snow begins, said Middletown Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano.

Sources said that more than 80 people have been interviewed by investigators.