U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said in a news release Thursday the deaths at the Bartlett Grain Co. elevator in Atchison "could have been prevented" if the operators had addressed hazards known in the industry.
Kansas investigators previously determined the Oct. 29, 2011, grain dust explosion accidental.
A release from the labor department notes that grain dust is nine times as explosive as coal dust. The agency said problems included a lack of proper preventive maintenance and an inadequate emergency action plan.
An attorney for Kansas City, Mo.-based Bartlett Grain said Thursday he had not seen the federal government's statement and could not comment.
