Power outage halts production at Ford Rouge complex

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Power outage halts production at Ford Rouge complex The Associated Press 03/31/00 6:54 AM Eastern

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- An overnight power outage is threatening to halt production at the sprawling Ford Rouge complex, site of a power-plant explosion and fire that killed six workers one year ago.

Power went off at the Ford Rouge plant about 3:45 a.m. today, and broadcast reports said the problem originated with Detroit Edison Co. There was no immediate indication of what caused the outage.

Messages were left this morning for Ford Motor Co. officials seeking information.

Edison has powered the complex since a 1999 fire that destroyed the Rouge's generators and killed six workers.

The Rouge complex includes Ford's Rouge plant and Rouge Industries Inc., a steel-maker and former Ford subsidiary.

A natural gas explosion set off a coal-dust fire at the Rouge plant's power plant on Feb. 1, 1999. It killed six employees and injured 34.

In September, the state fined Ford $1.5 million for safety violations at the power plant. Ford also paid about $30 million to settle lawsuits and agreed to give $5 million to researchers and hospital burn units.

http://wire.nj.com/cgi-bin/nj_nview.pl?/home1/wire/AP/Stream-Parsed/FINANCIAL/g7827_PM_MI--RougeOutage

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), March 31, 2000


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