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No one hurt in blast at black powder plant
Production halted at black powder facility at Doyline.
November 4, 2004
From Staff Reports

An explosion Wednesday morning at a black powder plant at Doyline injured no one but shut down the facility, a company official said.

The blast about 8:10 a.m. effectively halted production at Goex Black Powder Inc. for about three months, Goex President Mick Fahringer said. The company, the only manufacturer of authentic black powder in North America, has enough inventory to fill its customers' orders in the meantime, he said.

Black powder -- a mixture of potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur -- is manufactured for use in fireworks, muzzle-loading weapons, blasting supplies and numerous military applications.

The explosion Wednesday happened when a worker turned on the black powder granulating machine from a remote location, state police Trooper Doug Pierrelee said. The employee told authorities he heard a "pop."

The blast caused minor smoke and fire damage to the facility, Pierrelee said. State police and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are investigating the incident, he said.

It is the fourth reported explosion at the plant since it moved its operations from Pennsylvania to the former Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, now the Northwest Louisiana Commerce Center, in 1997. An explosion in November 1998 killed a worker.

Another employee severely was burned in a flash fire and explosion in January 2000. And an explosion injured two workers and caused $2.5 million worth of damage to the facility in October 2001.

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