Georgia Sugar Plant, Site of 2008 Deadly Explosion, Back in Business

Imperial Sugar has restarted its Georgia refinery to resume making crystal sugar for the first time since a deadly 2008 explosion devastated the plant near Savannah.

Employees fired up the boiler at the nation’s second-largest sugar refinery Tuesday morning and planned to start shipping liquid sugar by today. The first truckloads of crystal sugar are to follow within the next 10 days.

It was a welcome comeback for the factory’s 350 workers, who have spent more than a year clearing debris, repainting buildings and cleaning equipment since the Feb. 7, 2008, explosion.

The massive explosion killed 14 workers and injured dozens more. Investigators say the blast was caused by accumulated sugar dust that ignited like gunpowder.