After the revelation regarding the Corps of Engineers' knowing installation of defective pumps at the three floodgates in New Orleans, I promised people there would be more to this story. Yesterday I published "more" on my blog.
Last March 23, about 2.5 weeks before the pump testing started, the building in which the testing took place was engulfed by fire. A subcontractor working on the installation of a bridge crane in the building died of third degree burns a few days later. I have posted pictures of the building taken by OSHA during their initial site visit a few days after the fire.
The wiring in the building was destroyed, but the pump manufacturer, with the Corps' okay presumably, still proceeded with the testing a few weeks later, including running the pumps and drive units every night with no lights in the building. Considering the numerous failures of equipment conveying hot, high pressure (3000 psi) hydraulic oil documented by Ms. Maria Garzino in her memo (and confirmed independently by other Corps employees, whose reports are attachments to her memo), this was an inhenently dangerous situation which continued for weeks. In fact, at one point after the testing began, Ms. Garzino documents requesting time from the manufacturer so she and her teammates can go buy flashlights!
In any case, the fire is mentioned in the latest article about the pump testing, available in .this week's Gambit Weekly. And, as I mentioned I've posted far more details about the fire, including the OSHA and Florida State Fire Marshalls' investigations, at my blog.