No explosion danger, chief says

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The president of International Specialty Alloys told Union Township supervisors that there is no danger of an explosion at ISA’s facility on Frenz Drive.

An explosion had injured four people Aug. 29 at ISA offices at Northgate Circle, Neshannock Township.

Joseph Patrick attended the supervisors’ meeting Wednesday at the request of Supervisor Clair Damon, who had received some questions from residents about whether there was a risk of a similar explosion at the Frenz Drive facility.

Patrick told supervisors it appears there was a dust explosion inside one of the bunkers at the Neshannock facility where high-temperature aluminumothermic chemical reactions take place. He said experts are still trying to determine what caused the conditions that led to the explosion.

What’s different

But he added that though both facilities make specialty metals for the titanium industry, the Union Township facility uses a vacuum induction melting process. He said no chemical processes are involved and as a result, there is no explosion risk here.

Patrick is the former owner of ISA, which was bought May 1 by Kennametal of Latrobe. He told supervisors that Kennametal is a publicly traded company which has strengthened health, safety and environmental aspects of the business.