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A welder at a Staten Island company that reportedly sells alternative fuels to the city was killed Friday when a tank he was working on exploded, sending a river of oil into nearby streets, authorities and neighbors said.
Five firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the two-alarm fire at Plating Systems Inc. at 14 Van St. in the Livingston section. Several homes in the area were evacuated until the blaze was brought under control, officials said.
The identity of the dead worker was not disclosed. Neighbors said he had been welding inside an empty 7,500-gallon tank, one of four tanks used for storing vegetable oil used in manufacturing biodegradable diesel fuel.
Company officials could not be reached for comment.
The fire broke out at 2:13 p.m. when the first of two blasts sent a murky mixture of oil and grease down Van Street, causing several police cars to skid as they arrived at the scene.
More than 100 firefighters brought the blaze under control about two hours later. Six other workers in the two-story building escaped uninjured.
"There is nothing hazardous right now as far as hazards to the environment or people nearby," said Deputy Fire Chief Richard Howe. "We will continue to investigate the chemicals involved."
Howe said various chemicals were used at the plant. "We are still trying to identify the chemicals," he said. "It's quite a chaotic scene."
The city Department of Environmental Protection is also investigating to determine what chemicals the company used.
Workers at Fix-A-Dent, an auto body repair shop next door, said the plating company switched operations six months ago and began converting vegetable oils into biodegradable fuels. Its biggest customer, they said, was the city's Parks Department.
A spokesman for the Parks Department said he was not familiar with the company. Mark Daly, a spokesman for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which purchases fuel for the city, said Plating Systems is not listed as one of its vendors. "We have no entry for that company," he said.
Workers at Fix-A-Dent said the two blasts sent bricks flying through the shop. No one inside was injured.
"There was a big explosion," said James Crupi Jr., 32, the shop's manager. "I'm like, 'Everybody, let's get out of here.' That's when all the bricks landed on top of me."
His brother, Michael Crupi, 29, said he saw brown oil running in the street. "The first cops on the scene came around the corner and they couldn't stop because of the big flow of oil," he said.
The auto shop's owner, James Crupi, 52, said he had complained to the chemical company's owner and city officials about the plant's operations. He said that tanker trucks carrying oil show up at the business several times a week.
"When this guy started with the grease and oil, it was terrible," the elder Crupi said. "There was always grease. He said, 'What's the problem? It's not that bad; it's safe.'"
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