Swansea, S.C.-Swansea residents who were caught in the massive Tanner Industries anhydrous ammonia release July 15 that killed one person asked for and received an apology from Tanner representatives at a community meeting earlier this month. The release that put 10,000 pounds of ammonia into the air took the life of Jacqueline Ginyard, who was driving to work at the time. Her family was at the meeting and asked Tanner’s spokesman for an apology. Tanner spokesman David Binder, who is director of quality, safety and regulatory affairs responded, “We regret that it happened and our condolences to the families that have been impacted by this.” Binder assured attendees that the community is safe. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control arranged and hosted the meeting at the request of Swansea residents. The Department’s Thom Berry told Green Markets, “The community meeting was held by our agency at the request of some of the residents in the area. While we do not require these meetings, we do encourage them as it gives an opportunity for residents to learn about what happened and what is being done to address the issue for the future. In this case, Tanner voluntarily agreed to actively participate and provided company representatives to make a presentation and answer questions.” Residents asked if it’s going to happen again and why something wasn’t in place to prevent the release. Several asked why Tanner didn’t sound an alarm to warn of the situation. Binder said the company appreciated hearing from the community and indicated additional meetings would be held. An alarm system, he noted, would be considered after the National Transportation and Safety Board completes its investigation, which may take another six months.
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