By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The president of Praxair Distribution apologized Thursday to residents of the Lafayette Square neighborhood in south St. Louis.
A week ago Friday, Praxair's plant on Chouteau Avenue caught fire, sending flaming debris from exploding gas cylinders into the nearby residential area.
Company president Wayne Yakich attended a neighborhood meeting along with Mayor Francis Slay and other city officials.
He opened the meeting with the apology: "I say this on behalf of everyone at Praxair; we are sincerely sorry that this incident has occurred. We're deeply relieved that no one was seriously injured.
"We've been in business for over 90 years; we've never had an incident like this before. We are determined to make it our last."
Yakich also assured residents they would be compensated in full for any property damage.
"We need to correct some misinformation that ran [Thursday] in the Post-Dispatch. Claims will be covered 100%by Praxair. You do not have to worry about deductibles."
Company officials said insurance adjustors will help arrange for structural inspections, even if damage is not obvious.
Praxair is now operating out of Cahokia, Illinois. Yakich says the company is looking for a new site for its factory and 76 workers in the City.
REOPENING the PLANT
Yakich also said Thursday he would like to re-open the facility that burned, but only temporarily, and only to distribute non-flammable gases.
But he says that would only happen if he gets the okay from the city and the plant's neighbors.
Lafayette Square resident David Spagne says that's a compromise he can live with, given "they seem to be functioning quite well out of Cahokia."
"So I think if it was a limited time for that it would be acceptable," Spagne said.