A second explosion and the third incident reported in May at the Amaero Advanced Materials & Manufacturing plant south of Cleveland, Tennessee, led to a shutdown of the facility in the Spring Brook Industrial Park.
“A small explosion occurred while removing damaged equipment from a previous incident,” Cleveland Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Evie West said via text. “Amaero has a team of third-party experts that are revetting the designs and processes that the plant uses. Amaero has shut down all plant operations until the experts can determine the safest way to continue the demolition and safety enhancements.”
Tuesday’s incident follows a reported explosion May 13 at the plant and a fire reported May 16, according to Cleveland and Chattanooga authorities. Two employees, Ocoee, Tennessee, resident Matthew B. Eaker, 42, and Cleveland resident Juan J. Soto, 61, were seriously burned in the May 13 explosion. There have been no updates on their conditions.
The May 13 explosion was said by Chattanooga Fire Department officials to have involved a lithium battery, according to an agency press release. Chattanooga firefighters met the ambulance carrying Soto at Erlanger hospital, initially taking special precautions in anticipation of possible exposure to titanium dust, which turned out not to be the case.
(READ MORE: Cleveland, Tennessee, explosion investigated. Victims identified)
The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing to investigate the May 13 explosion because it involved injuries, according to agency spokesperson Chris Cannon. In an email, Cannon said the fire and Tuesday’s incident did not rise to a formal investigation because no injuries were reported.
“An employer is only required to report amputations, the loss of an eye or inpatient hospitalization,” Cannon said.
Although a formal investigation was not launched into the May 16 fire, Cannon previously said, an agency investigator returned to the plant the day after the fire to seek information on the cause. Findings will be combined with the final report on the May 13 explosion, which could take up to 180 days to complete.
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The plant was voluntarily shut down by the company, Cannon said, not on orders issued by the state.
No one answered the phone Wednesday at the plant in Cleveland, and voicemails seeking comment on the latest incident left for chief administrative officer Melissa Denton and CEO Hank Holland were not returned.
Amaero manufactures metals and alloys, operating a 130,000-square-foot, $54.9 million manufacturing and research facility opened in the Spring Branch Industrial Park in 2023 near Exit 20 on Interstate 75. The facility serves as Amaero’s hub for its titanium alloy powder production, advanced manufacturing and research and development.
Contact Southeast Tennessee reporter Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.