Washington County paper mill deaths confirmed to be caused by hydrogen sulfide
Two young men who died following a hydrogen sulfide leak at the Woodland Pulp paper mill in Baileyville earlier this year were killed accidentally, the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has confirmed.
Kasie Malcolm, 20, a University of Maine engineering student who was interning at the mill, died hours after a gas leak on Jan. 27 in the facility's bleach plant. Allen Hornberger, 26, a process engineer who had been working at the Washington County mill for five months, spent three weeks in the hospital before dying on Feb. 16.
Hydrogen sulfide had been suspected as the cause of both deaths, but the medical examiner's finding, released Thursday, is the first official confirmation. The office did not say when the determination was made, explaining only that it had withheld the information because of an ongoing investigation by the Maine attorney general's office.
The existence of that investigation had not previously been disclosed. When asked about it before Thursday, attorney general spokesperson Danna Hayes said, "The office cannot confirm the existence of, or comment on any investigation." She also declined to discuss what kind of workplace death investigation might be underway.
The medical examiner classified both deaths as accidental, meaning they resulted from unintentional injury. Separately, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting its own review to determine whether Woodland Pulp violated workplace safety laws. OSHA has until late July to complete its evaluation. The federal Chemical Safety Board is also investigating the leak.
According to a written statement from the Chemical Safety Board, the incident "may have involved the mixing of concentrated sulfuric acid with sulfurous compounds in an enclosed process sewer, resulting in the generation and release of hydrogen sulfide." An ambulance was first dispatched to the mill at 3:28 p.m. on Jan. 27 to treat employees suffering headaches and other minor symptoms. Nearly three hours later, a 911 caller reported that two people had been found in the bleach plant, the section of the facility where brown wood chips that have been turned into pulp are whitened and further broken down.
Woodland Pulp is the largest employer in Washington County. The company produces hardwood pulp and operates St. Croix Tissue, an on-site operation that manufactures toilet paper and paper towels. It is owned by the International Grand Investment Corporation, whose directors are based in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Malcolm was remembered at memorial services in March as a kind and generous young man. Friends said he had hoped his work in paper mills would launch a career in chemical engineering. Hornberger lived with his girlfriend and cat in Lee. His family has not spoken publicly about his death, but in an online comment on his obituary, his father wrote, "You were my life. Everything I did was for you."
