Overview

• Didion Milling Inc. has agreed to pay an additional $1.8 million in penalties following a 2017 explosion at its Cambria corn mill that resulted in the death of five workers and injured more than a dozen others.
• The company has also agreed to implement extensive safety improvements at the facility, including the development of a corporate-wide safety and health management system, regular meetings with OSHA to discuss safety and health issues, and training for employees in hazard recognition.
• The settlement follows the convictions of company Vice President of Operations Derrick Clark and its former Food Safety Superintendent Shawn Mesner for falsifying documents and obstructing an OSHA investigation.
• In addition to the latest penalties, Didion Milling Inc. pleaded guilty in September 2023 to charges related to falsifying the mill’s cleaning and baghouse logs and agreed to pay restitution of more than $10 million to the 2017 explosion’s victims and a $1 million criminal fine.
• Other company officials, including shift superintendents Nicholas Booker, Michael Bright, and Joel Niemeyer, and former environmental manager Joseph Winch, have pleaded guilty to various charges related to the incident and are awaiting sentencing.