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Not the first incident at the Payne Street facility

An explosion at the Givaudan Sense Color industrial plant rocked the Clifton neighborhood on Tuesday, sparking a massive emergency response – but it's not the first time.

According to an investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, an explosion at the same plant in April 2003 caused “a massive release of aqua ammonia,” an ammonia solution in water.

The explosion at the plant, then operating under the name DD Williamson & Co., killed one worker and triggered an evacuation of 26 people and the creation of emergency shelters for 1,500 people.

Here is what the history of the facility shows:

DD Williamson was previously investigated by investigators

After the explosion in 2003, investigators determined that a defective feed tank used in the factory's production of food-grade caramel colors was to blame.

Investigators also found deficiencies in DD Williamson's operations as possible causes for the incident. These included:

  • There is a lack of programs “to determine whether equipment and processes meet the basic requirements of process and systems engineering”;
  • A lack of “adequate hazard analysis systems to identify feed tank hazards”;
  • And there was a lack of “appropriate operating procedures or adequate training programs to ensure that operators were aware of the risks” of feed tanks overheating and knew how to respond.

In the 2003 incident when the feed tank exploded, the tank head was thrown 100 meters through the air.

The tank's shell “was thrown from its foundation,” striking an aqua ammonia storage tank and causing a 26,000-pound aqua ammonia leak, which then drifted southwest into the surrounding neighborhood as a vapor cloud.

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According to the federal report, one operator died in the explosion due to “massive trauma.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ammonia is toxic, especially in large amounts or with repeated exposure. Symptoms may include irritation of the mouth, nose, throat, lungs, eyes and skin.

“While most people recover, survivors who have inhaled large amounts may suffer long-term lung damage,” the CDC says, and eye contact can result in cataracts or blindness.

The Clifton facility recently faced local air pollution violations

In 2021, Givaudan, a Swiss company, acquired DD Williamson & Co.

Per the 2021 Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District permits for the facility, it continues to produce caramel colors for the food industry.

The Payne Street facility has also recently come under the spotlight of regulators over alleged violations of local air pollution regulations.

Last year, the Air Pollution Control District issued two violation notices at the facility, The Courier Journal reported after the recent explosion.

In one case, the district alleged the company failed to submit annual reports, semi-annual reports and annual certificates of compliance within allowable timelines and failed to monitor and record equipment ranges as required by the facility's permit.

In another case, the district said the company failed to file reports of excessive emissions as required by district regulations.

Both cases were resolved through settlements with the district for a total of $7,500, district records show.

The Courier Journal was unable to reach the company by phone outside of business hours Tuesday.

Connor Giffin is an environmental reporter for The Courier Journal. Reach him directly below [email protected] or on X @byconnorriffin.

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