Clean-Up Effort, Questions Continue After Husky Explosion, Fire; Gov. Walker To Return

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The city of Superior is continuing to stay in the conversation among other local and state agencies as Husky Energy works through the clean-up effort after the historic explosion and fire at the Canadian company’s Superior refinery Thursday.

Mayor Jim Paine told FOX 21 Sunday there is no evidence of any lingering health effects or contamination of drinking water as a result of the explosion.

Paine says ongoing tests will be done, like on potential soil contamination.

Governor Scott Walker will return to Superior on Monday, according to Paine, to take a tour of the damage at the Husky facility, and he says there are a lot of questions that will come as the days and weeks move forward.

“I do appreciate the support from the governor’s office. At some point this shifts to a policy debate. We have to clean up the site, the refinery has to look at repairs and getting people back to work. And then we have to ask ourselves how do we make that refinery safer, and that may be a political question that may involve state government,” said Mayor Jim Paine.

Husky Energy released the following update to FOX 21 on Sunday:

“We are continuing work to ensure the site is secure, and an initial investigation is underway in areas where it is safe to do so.  Air and water monitoring is ongoing, in conjunction with the EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. We are committed to the refinery, our employees and the community. We will continue to pay our employees and they, along with contractors, will be needed as cleanup and repairs begin.