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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 540 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 540

Expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the 
  victims of the catastrophic explosion at the ConAgra Foods plant in 
            Garner, North Carolina, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2009

Mr. Etheridge (for himself, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Miller of 
North Carolina, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Butterfield) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the 
  victims of the catastrophic explosion at the ConAgra Foods plant in 
            Garner, North Carolina, and for other purposes.

Whereas the people of North Carolina experienced a devastating tragedy when a 
        massive explosion occurred at the ConAgra Foods plant in Garner, North 
        Carolina, shortly before 11:30 a.m. on June 9, 2009;
Whereas the 500,000-square-foot plant, one of the largest owned by ConAgra 
        Foods, employs 900 people, 300 of whom were on site when the blast 
        occurred;
Whereas three workers lost their lives when the explosion ripped through the 
        plant;
Whereas employee Louis Junior Watson re-entered the building to help a coworker 
        escape and both employees died when the structure caved in;
Whereas at least 40 employees were injured, some suffering from exposure to 
        toxic ammonia fumes and at least four with critical burns;
Whereas three brave firefighters were treated for inhalation;
Whereas North Carolina's first responders, fire, police, and EMS, were quick to 
        the scene and prevented any further loss of life or injury, and private 
        citizens risked their well-being to come to the aid of their friends and 
        neighbors;
Whereas the Garner Police and Fire Departments have cooperated with North 
        Carolina Task Force 8 Urban Search and Rescue to search and secure the 
        building and its periphery;
Whereas agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the 
        Wake County Fire Marshal, inspectors from the North Carolina Department 
        of Labor, and agents with the United States Chemical Safety Board have 
        combined efforts to investigate the cause of the explosion;
Whereas the United States Environmental Protection Agency has inspected the site 
        of the explosion to ensure no contamination spreads from the plant;
Whereas the above mentioned agencies will continue to work together with private 
        citizens to investigate the accident, provide assistance to families of 
        the victims, and ensure public health and safety in this disaster's 
        aftermath; and
Whereas ConAgra has established the ConAgra Foods Garner Plant Fund in memory of 
        those lost in this tragedy, has set up assistance and relief services 
        for the families of the victims, and is helping support surviving 
        workers: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses condolences to the families, friends, and 
        loved ones of the victims of the explosion at the ConAgra Foods 
        plant in Garner, North Carolina;
            (2) honors Barbara McLean Spears of Dunn, North Carolina, 
        Louis Junior Watson of Clayton, North Carolina, and Rachel Mae 
        Poston Pulley of Clayton, North Carolina, who lost their lives 
        in the explosion, and the 40 others who were injured;
            (3) expresses sympathies to the people of Garner, the 
        entire State of North Carolina, and the Nation who grieve for 
        the victims; and
            (4) commends the heroic actions of the Garner Police and 
        Fire Departments, the quick response of the Bureau of Alcohol, 
        Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and all other first 
        responders, emergency services personnel, and private citizens 
        who responded to the crisis.
                                 <all>
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