Biotechnology/krill oil company Neptune has provided an update on the status of operating permits for its Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada plant which is being rebuilt following an explosion in November 2012.
As previously announced, Neptune expects to resume production upon receipt of all outstanding permits for its new production facility. To date, the municipal fire department has approved the plant’s emergency evacuation plan and no further approvals are required from them. In addition, the Ministryof Environment is expected to issue its permit upon notification that the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST), the Québec commission overseeing health and safety in the workplace has confirmed the plant conforms to all safety regulations.
During the most recent inspection of the plant by the CSST, certain items were identified that Neptune said are readily addressable and the facility will be open once the requirements are met. Accordingly, Neptune is targeting an early June 2014 plant opening.
Concurrently, Neptune announced the release of the investigative report on the accident at the Sherbrooke production plant. The report, made public by the CSST, outlines the facts and alleged conclusions of the investigation and attributes some responsibility to the company. The report highlights that the exact cause of the accident could not be identified. In addition, it does not make any mention of additional fines or penalties against Neptune beyond the statement of offense notice seeking payment of a fine of approximately $60,000, previously received and disclosed by Neptune in the autumn of 2013.
Throughout the investigation, which lasted almost eighteen months, the construction contractors and their employees, as well as the employees and management at Neptune, offered their full cooperation to investigators from the CSST.
“We will take the time to analyse the report before commenting further on the conclusions surrounding the causes and circumstances that could have caused this tragic accident,” said André Godin, chief financial officer of Neptune. “The safety of our employees is one of Neptune’s most important concerns.”
