On 7 February 2008, fourteen people were killed and forty injured during a dust explosion at an Imperial Sugar owned refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, United States. Dust explosions had been an issue of concern among U.S. authorities since three fatal accidents in 2003, with efforts made to improve safety and reduce the risk of reoccurrence. The Port Wentworth refinery was large and old, featuring outdated construction methods, factors which are believed to have contributed to the fire's severity. The origin of the explosion was narrowed down to the center of the factory, in a basement located beneath storage silos. Large accumulations of sugar dust due to poor housekeeping became airborne from the shock waves, leading to a series of massive secondary explosions spreading throughout the factory. Investigations conducted by the Department of Justice ruled out deliberate criminal activity in 2013. As a result of the industrial disaster, new safety legislation was proposed. Port Wentworth's economy declined because the factory was closed down. Imperial intended to rebuild it and return to production by the end of 2008, with replacement buildings to be completed by summer the following year. Some victims filed up to 44 lawsuits for damages against Imperial and/or the company hired to clean up the site; eighteen have been settled. Imperial said that the explosion was the main reason for a major loss in the first quarter of 2008. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released its report on the incident in September 2009, saying that the explosion had been "entirely preventable". Investigations by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reached similar conclusions. Background Imperial Sugar's refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, was a four-story structure on the bank of the Savannah River. Imperial, based in Sugar Land, Texas, had bought the refinery and its brand name in 1997 from a previous local owner. Known since construction as the Dixie Crystal refinery, it was the main employer in Port Wentworth, a town of 3,500, prior to the disaster. The Port Wentworth refinery was constructed in 1916 by 400 people who were moved from Louisiana specifically for the purpose, and opened the following year. Imperial bought the refinery together with Savannah Foods to form part of a national supply and distribution network to meet demand from businesses such as Piggly Wiggly, General Mills and Wal-Mart. This network was the second largest