The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations on Thursday to two contractors connected to the deadly explosion in Sun Prairie.
Contractors Bear Communications and VC Tech were each fined $12,934 and have 15 days to pay the citations.
The explosion July 10, 2018 downtown killed firefighter Capt. Cory Barr, injured several other firefighters and demolished numerous buildings.
During a news conference, Dec. 20, Sun Prairie Police Chief Chief Patrick Anhalt said the explosion followed a natural gas line being hit by a crew from Michigan-based VC Tech after the intersection of Main and Bristol streets was improperly marked.
But officials went on to say they have found no probable cause to believe a crime was committed in connection with the explosion.
OSHA investigators say Bear Communications failed to contact Diggers Hotline prior to digging to install a fiber optic line. According to OSHA, VC Tech also did not contact the one-call center prior to excavation.
According to the citations: “Utility companies or owners were not contacted within established or customary local response times, advised of the proposed work and asked to establish the location of the utility underground installations prior to the start of an excavation.
The companies have the option to contest the amount of the citation if they request a conference within 15 days.
For more go to WKOW: https://wkow.com/news/2019/01/10/osha-cites-two-contractors-involved-in-deadly-sun-prairie-explosion/