After failing in attempts to fix the control system the company disabled it the same year it was installed. For thirty-three years the boiler was operated without proper safety equipment. Four consultant reports, issued from 1987 to 1998 recommended that flame supervision and combustion controls be restored or installed on all boilers in the powerhouse. Insurance carrier reports issued each year from 1990 to 1998 repeated these recommendations. Boiler licensing is handled by the state of Michigan Consumer and Industry Services department.
State law requires annual inspections and compliance with industry wide standards.
In addition, while the State must certify boilers annually it does not always do the inspections itself, relying on insurance company reports, and limiting it's inspections to the boiler as a pressure vessel. Natural gas entered the boiler through a ten inch pipe during the maintenance shut down for approximately one to two minutes. Leaks in coal handling equipment resulted in heavy accumulation of coal dust on equipment and building structures. The facility was not cleaned well enough to remove the coal dust which, after the explosion, added to the fires. Training, planning, and procedures for shutting down the boiler were inadequate and inconsistent.