Here is a link to a news item from northwest Louisiana http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=5281639.
The Valentec ammunitions plant had an explosion late Monday evening. In the same vein as the BP plant explosion, which triggered an environmental criminal investigation as well as an OSHA investigation and wrongful death lawsuits, it may be a safe bet that this event will also trigger similar investigations. As the facility also had a contract with the Israeli army, the question becomes: Will the Department of Homeland Security be far behind? I do not know, nor will I speculate that this has any terrorist implications. Pre-9/11, the hypothesis would be accepted that this was a “routine” investigation by OSHA and/or the USEPA after a tragic plant accident. Now, after 9/11 does DHS take precedent? With this sort of event, the typical first reaction used to be that the safety of human health and the environment came first. While that should remain the case, it is also potentially a crime scene, from which relevant agencies may be collecting evidence. And this always creates a tension. In the immediate aftermath and the emergency response to the emergency (making it again safe for humans and the environment), there is a real potential that evidence will be destroyed.
Just a few thoughts,
More later.
If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call or e-mail me at walter.james@jamespllc.com.
WDJiii