AMA fire and explosion at the ADM/Growmark grain elevator in Destrehan caused "considerable structural damage" to the facility, according to an initial report from the state Department of Environmental Quality.The cause of the explosion has not been released.There were no reported injuries in connection with the matter, which knocked out power to nearly 1,500 homes and has closed River Road.The road was re-opened to traffic at 2:45 p.m.

A spokeswoman for ADM said the company would release a statement about the matter but had not done so as of 2 p.m.
Elizabeth Todd, a spokesperson from the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, said the investigation of the accident could take up to six months, but may not take that long.

OSHA will determine whether any safety regulations were violated before the accident, while the DEQ will investigate whether there was any impact on the environment.

The grain elevator was evacuated shortly after the 1:30 a.m. blast, but residents of the surrounding neighborhood were not asked to leave, according to the St. Charles Parish Emergency Operations Center.

The explosion knocked out power to 1,448 customers in the area for about 90 minutes, Entergy spokesman Doug Rhodes said.

"It scared the heck out of us," said Mrs. Frank Sipos, who lives a few blocks way from the elevator.

Grain elevators are essentially storage facilities for grain. In South Louisiana, grain is shipped downriver from the midwest and stored at the grain elevator until it is loaded onto ships for export overseas.

The elevator is one of three in the parish. The others are owned by Bunge North America, which is also in Destrehan, and another ADM facility in Ama, on the parish's west bank.

ADM employs 178 people at both grain elevators, according to the St. Charles Parish Department of Economic Development.
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