MADISON, WI – Didion Milling Inc. entered a guilty plea in federal court today, agreeing to pay $1 million in criminal fines and $10.25 million in restitution for a fatal 2017 explosion at its Cambria corn mill facility. The explosion resulted in five deaths and multiple injuries.
The company had been indicted in May 2022 for several federal crimes, including violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Clean Air Act, and food safety regulations. Today’s guilty plea specifically pertains to counts six and seven of the indictment, which charged Didion Milling with falsifying records to hide violations from government agencies.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim stated that the plea serves as a warning to employers against lying to regulatory agencies. Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance emphasized that there is no excuse for misleading conduct, particularly following a tragedy.
Court documents showed that Didion Milling was mandated to operate “baghouses,” devices to filter particulate matter like corn dust. Employees falsified log entries between 2015 and 2017 to disguise the operational status of these baghouses. Additionally, under safety standards, the company was required to maintain a sanitation logbook for dust cleanings. Entries for May 2017 were falsified to indicate compliance, which was later provided to OSHA investigators.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date before U.S. District Court Judge James D. Peterson for the Western District of Wisconsin. Three more defendants are set for trial starting Oct. 2.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conducted the investigation. Prosecutors Samuel Lord, Joel La Bissonniere, and Richard J. Powers of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are handling the case.