Frustrated neighbors gathered at United Crescent Hill Ministries on State Street to express their concerns following a deadly explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour facility on Payne Street. The blast, which occurred last Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to several others.Martin Richards said his family has been displaced, and he has suffered financial losses due to missed work. “It’s been a pain. It’s hard to get answers,” Richards said. During a community meeting, neighbors presented questions to Ann Leonard, the president of Givaudan Sense Colour, about mental and physical health concerns, property values, and payment for those affected by the explosion. “This is an absolute tragedy. We are committed to finding out how this happened and take steps from something similar from happening in the future,” Leonard said.Leonard said the company is committed to paying for damages to homes and businesses, and she said the company is looking at moving to a new site. “While we don’t know what exactly the future holds for our current site, please know we are looking at and prioritizing other locations to continue our operations going forward,” Leonard said.The company’s plans received mixed reactions from the community. “I’m a realist about it. We have to have businesses in the community to pay taxes and to create jobs. I think it would be wonderful if they stayed in Louisville, but I think them being in a manufacturing or business park area, not around residents, is incredibly important,” Hilary Ford said.Meanwhile, Shea Stephens said she was skeptical about the process to receive compensation for damages. “Even though they have said give us the receipts, we’re going to pay them. They definitely repeated that over and over again. That’s just not the way the world works,” Stephens said. During the meeting, leaders also discussed having future office hours so that people can speak with company representatives one-on-one.
Frustrated neighbors gathered at United Crescent Hill Ministries on State Street to express their concerns following a deadly explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour facility on Payne Street.
The blast, which occurred last Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to several others.
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Martin Richards said his family has been displaced, and he has suffered financial losses due to missed work.
“It’s been a pain. It’s hard to get answers,” Richards said.
During a community meeting, neighbors presented questions to Ann Leonard, the president of Givaudan Sense Colour, about mental and physical health concerns, property values, and payment for those affected by the explosion.
“This is an absolute tragedy. We are committed to finding out how this happened and take steps from something similar from happening in the future,” Leonard said.
Leonard said the company is committed to paying for damages to homes and businesses, and she said the company is looking at moving to a new site.
“While we don’t know what exactly the future holds for our current site, please know we are looking at and prioritizing other locations to continue our operations going forward,” Leonard said.
The company’s plans received mixed reactions from the community.
“I’m a realist about it. We have to have businesses in the community to pay taxes and to create jobs. I think it would be wonderful if they stayed in Louisville, but I think them being in a manufacturing or business park area, not around residents, is incredibly important,” Hilary Ford said.
Meanwhile, Shea Stephens said she was skeptical about the process to receive compensation for damages.
“Even though they have said give us the receipts, we’re going to pay them. They definitely repeated that over and over again. That’s just not the way the world works,” Stephens said.
During the meeting, leaders also discussed having future office hours so that people can speak with company representatives one-on-one.
