Province awaits report from ArcelorMittal Dofasco on cause, fallout of blast and plume

The province's Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has asked ArcelorMittal Dofasco for a detailed report into the massive Christmas morning explosion at the plant which some residents compared to a bombing.

Ministry spokesperson Lindsay Davidson said staff will follow up with the steelmaking company on Tuesday to determine the root cause of the blast and gather any additional information from the fallout, including possible health risks.

Ministry staff attended the site and will monitor the situation to ensure the appropriate actions are taken to protect human health and the natural environment," Davidson said in a statement late Saturday.

The series of eruptions occurred at 11:10 a.m. in the slag pit" of a company-operated blast furnace which produces liquid iron used to make steel.

ArcelorMittal reported Friday the explosion is believed to have been caused by molten slag and iron coming into contact with water which was present in the pit.

The reaction was between water and primarily liquid iron and would have been comprised of mostly iron, iron oxide and water vapour, as well as silica, calcium, magnesium, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide," the company wrote in a statement.

The fire was doused and secured by ArcelorMittal's on-site fire crew within an hour of the blast.

There were no injuries, the company said, but the eruption resulted in significant air emissions. Three small storage buildings sustained damage.

The Spectator received emails from a dozen residents with photos of the orange-shaded plume rising into the sky.

Some said their house shook 20 kilometres away in Stoney Creek. Others sent in photos taken from the Mountain.

Rodney Slagter, who lives on the nearby Beach Boulevard, likened the blast to a series of bombs."

The house was shaking," Slagter said. The whole sky was dark. It smelled like sulphur."

ArcelorMittal has undertaken an internal investigation into the cause of the explosion.

Davidson said the ministry's Spills Action Centre (SAC) observed no off-site impacts" from particulate fallout.

The local Hamilton Air Monitoring Network stations were reviewed and there were no elevated concentrations of suspended particulate matter," Davidson said.

ArcelorMittal indicated to the ministry there are no catch basins in the area of the blast.

The fire water was contained to the immediate area," Davidson said the ministry was told. There were no surface water impacts."

The investigation remains ongoing.

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com