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Praxair Says It's Working to Relocate

Posted on: Sunday, 3 July 2005, 15:00 CDT

Jul. 1--City officials and the president of Praxair Distribution Inc. told residents of the Lafayette Square neighborhood Thursday night that they were working to relocate the business, the site of fiery explosions a week ago.

"This is a strong neighborhood," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told an audience of several hundred at Lafayette Park United Methodist Church. "We want to keep this neighborhood strong. . . . This neighborhood is not an appropriate location for this operation."

Slay's comment was greeted by thunderous applause from residents and business owners in the area.

Although city officials emphasized the desire to remove Praxair to another location in the city away from residential neighborhoods, the assurances fell short of the absolutes many residents wanted to hear after explosions shook the neighborhood June 24. The possibility that Praxair might distribute nonflammable gases and liquids once it has cleaned up the site remained, to the displeasure of many residents.

"I was hoping to hear for certain that they'd relocate the facility," said Mike Dotson, a resident of Mackay Place. "The facility has been a nuisance and an annoyance for years. There's no neighborhood in any suburb that would tolerate a 24-hour gas distribution business."

Praxair President Wayne Yakich said he was working closely with city and state officials to move the business from the neighborhood. He said the cleanup was about 50 percent done at the site at Chouteau and Missouri avenues.

"I say this on behalf of everyone at Praxair," Yakich said. "We're sincerely sorry this incident occurred. We're deeply relieved that no one was seriously injured."

Residents concerned about air quality following the fire and explosions at the plant were told by city and state health officials that all measurements showed chemical and asbestos levels below safety thresholds.

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Copyright (c) 2005, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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