KSP: Tampering caused ice plant ammonia leak

After further investigation into a December 2008 anhydrous ammonia leak at the Corbin Ice Plant, authorities say they now believe that the leak may have been the result of a theft or an attempted theft at the plant and the man heading up the case says there are persons of interest.

Kentucky State Police Detective Colan Harrell said that the two valves in question at the Corbin Ice Plant on Cumberland Falls Highway were sent to the manufacturer where they were tested and found to be in good working order. Harrell said the two valves worked in concert with one another, meaning both would have to have gone bad at the same time and with the new information from the manufacturer, it appears that the valves must have intentionally been turned on causing a leak.

The good news for Harrell is that he has been treating the investigation as a possible theft all along, so he thinks he is heading in the right direction.

“I have been working this case as a possible theft from the very beginning, so as for anything new, there really isn’t a lot to change,” Harrell said. “Both valves are OK, which tells us that it was done intentionally and that it was an attempted theft.

“From here, we just have to keep moving forward,” he added. “There are persons of interest in the case and that’s about all we can say.”

As for the investigation, Corbin Ice Plant owner Jreg Botner said even though he regrets that the whole situation happened, he is glad to know that it was not a maintenance issue to blame for the leak that forced evacuation of those within a mile-and-a-half radius of the plant. He also said he has used this type of valve for quite some time, adding that he has yet to have a problem with one of them that could potentially cause a leak.

“I guess it makes me feel a little better,” Botner said. “It is good to know that there was nothing faulty about our equipment.

“Personally, I knew that all the time, because we use a pretty common valve and have never had any kind of trouble with it,” he added. “But it’s good to know that Detective Harrell feels the same way about it as well.”
Botner said he is unsure of where the investigation would go from here, and without going into detail, said that he knew there were persons of interest in the investigation.

“I know there are persons of interest and that’s about all I can say,” he said.

As for the Ice Company and what they are doing in the aftermath of the spill, Corbin Ice Company Vice President Jreg Botner said previously that measures have been taken to make the facility more secure, including security upgrades.
“We have completed an upgrade, which is a major upgrade from what we had, as far as that room (ammonia storage area) goes,” Botner said.

Botner also said that employees had been reminded of company policies as far as who is to have access to particular areas of the plant, but admitted he did not feel like that was a major concern.

“I feel like everyone reacted well as far as our employees,” he said. “We kind of just sat them down and reiterated some of our policies and procedures just to be on the safe side.”

On a legal front, Botner said that his company has not been fined as of yet and that his attorneys are currently in discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Division of Water Safety. He said it could be a while before that type of thing is sorted out.