By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The president of Praxair says the gas supplier may be willing to relocate its plant in St. Louis.
In the wake of last Friday's explosions and fire at the facility in the Lafayette Square neighborhood, some residents - and Mayor Francis Slay - expressed concerns about the company's location. They say they're not sure they want Praxair to rebuild in the same spot.
"The mayor has offered to help us find a new location if that makes economic sense for us," says company president Wayne Yakich.
"So we're working with the mayor and his economic development department in order to see what we can do to keep this Praxair operation and the 77 jobs in the city of St. Louis."
Yakich also says company officials will attend a neighborhood residents' meeting Thursday night.
Meantime, Missouri's Department of Natural Resources says it will conduct more of its own air sampling Thursday, after Praxair officials say asbestos was found in the ashes and on the grounds of the south St. Louis plant.