Didion Milling fails to implement recommendations from Chemical Safety Board

A federal agency said a Cambria corn mill where a fatal explosion happened eight years ago has failed to implement any of the safety recommendations it made.

Five people were killed and 14 were injured in an explosion at Didion Milling in May 2017.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board sent a letter to the company in December 2023 detailing nine safety recommendations. They included contracting a third party to develop a “comprehensive combustible dust process safety management system.” 

In July 2024, the company sent a letter to the CSB saying it took steps to meet an agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Didion Milling agreed to a settlement of $1.8 million with OSHA in 2023.

But the company has still not implemented any of the nine improvements recommended by the CSB, according to a board statement. 

The CSB said its recommendations were separate from what OSHA required, addressing “various other identified gaps in Didion’s inadequate safety management system, as well as the company’s failure to properly implement other safety standards and guidance.” 

Last week, the CSB sent another letter to a Didion executive offering the company a final opportunity to respond. If the company does not respond or takes no action, the board may decide to close the recommendations with a formal designation of “closed with an unacceptable response” or “no response received.” 

The CSB is a does not have the ability to issue fines. The board, which also investigated a 2018 refinery explosion in Superior, faces elimination under President Donald Trump’s proposed 2026 budget. 

In a statement, CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said most companies “willingly implement” the agency’s recommendations that they receive as a result of investigations.

“Safety recommendations are the primary tool that the agency has to help prevent future horrific incidents that kill and seriously injure people like the massive explosions that occurred at Didion’s facility,” the statement said. “We urge Didion to respond constructively and take action toward implementing these recommendations.”