Tennessee
100 violations, $3.1M fine issued in Tennessee plant blast that killed 16
MCEWEN, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued 100 safety citations and more than $3.1 million in penalties following its investigation into a 2025 explosion at an Accurate Energetic Systems munitions plant that killed 16 people.
State officials said Tuesday the citations stem from a six-month investigation into the Oct. 10 blast at the facility near Bucksnort, Tennessee. The agency described the case as the largest investigation in its history and the highest total penalty it has ever assessed.
Of the 100 violations, 59 were classified as willful, 32 as serious, four as repeat-serious, and five as other-than-serious.
The total assessed penalty is $3,133,900.
TOSHA said willful violations indicate “an employer’s intentional disregard for the requirements of the TOSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety and health,” though not necessarily malicious intent.
RELATED COVERAGE | No sprinklers in building where 16 died in AES plant blast in McEwen, according to CSB
The agency hand-delivered the citations to company legal counsel in Nashville on Tuesday and also provided documentation to the victims’ families.
According to TOSHA, penalties are calculated using a standardized formula designed to ensure consistency and do not factor in the number of fatalities.
The agency noted its previous largest penalty was about $380,000 following a 2001 explosion at a military flare manufacturing facility that resulted in one death.
TOSHA emphasized that its role is to determine whether workplace safety violations occurred, not to establish the cause of an accident or assign fault.
Accurate Energetic Systems has 20 calendar days to request an informal conference or formally contest the citations.
AES’s CEO provided FOX 17 News with the following statement, saying that they believe that TOSHA’s findings “do not represent the standard of safety the company strives for.”
“Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) is carefully reviewing the compliance findings issued today by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA). We have 20 days to respond to the findings and will also meet with TOSHA within that time period. We believe that TOSHA’s findings do not represent the standard of safety we strive to achieve every day, nor our commitment to the wellbeing of our team members and their loved ones.
AES continues to investigate and assist government investigators following the tragedy of October 10. Those we lost embodied the very heart of our community. They were our friends and family, and we suffer from their loss. We miss them, love them, and will always cherish our memories of them.
As we closely assess these compliance findings alongside ongoing investigations, including our own, into what caused the explosion, our top priority will remain our employees, their families, and our neighbors. We will continue providing long-term care and resources through the AES Families Support Fund as well as Helping Hands of Hickman County, Centerstone, and through the support of thousands of our friends, neighbors, parishioners and partners.
We are grateful beyond words for the outpouring of support we have received, not just from these invaluable organizations and people, but from around the world.”
Read the full TOSHA statement below.
See inside L.L.Bean’s first Tennessee location at Franklin mall
L.L.Bean has officially opened the doors to its inaugural Tennessee location at Cool Springs Galleria Mall.
The boot has arrived. After months of anticipation, L.L.Bean opened its inaugural Tennessee location at Cool Springs Galleria mall in Franklin July 17.
To celebrate and spread the word, L.L.Bean’s 13-foot-tall Bootmobile boot-shaped vehicle made appearances throughout the Franklin area, including stops at The Franklin Butchery, Hank’s Coffee Station, Leiper’s Fork Distillery and a Nashville Sounds game.
“For generations, Tennesseans have shopped with L.L.Bean through our catalog and online channels, and we’re excited to finally bring the brand experience to life in Franklin,” said L.L.Bean District Manager Kenon Mitchell. “With its strong outdoor culture and growing community, Franklin is a natural home for L.L.Bean. We look forward to deepening our connection with longtime customers while introducing the brand to new audiences through our legendary service, quality products and outdoor expertise.”
Some fans of the Maine-based outdoor gear store arrived for the opening before dawn.
First in a line of about 150 people was Paul Smith, who got there at 3 a.m.
“We are super excited for this,” Smith said. “We always go up to their headquarters in Maine, so we know what L.L. Bean is and we love them.”
Smith was most excited to purchase some more of their equipment: “Their outdoor equipment is really great. Their backpacks are well known for being waterproof and long-lasting.”
L.L.Bean also made a $10,000 contribution to the Franklin Family YMCA. Since 2022, L.L.Bean has contributed more than $2.25 million to YMCA Summer Camp scholarships.
“We’re an all-American outdoor lifestyle program,” Mitchell said. No matter if you’re walking your dog, playing with your kids, or you’re hiking around, we’re providing the gear that helps to make that experience better. We’ve been around for 114 years and our stuff is really well crafted, that people have loved for years. We’re happy to bring this store to our current fans while bringing our store to more people.
L.L. Bean is located at 1800 Galleria Blvd. Suite 252 at Cool Springs Galleria. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — New TCAP results are giving parents their first look at how students performed across Southeast Tennessee during the 2025-26 school year.
Among the districts in the Chattanooga area, Dayton City Schools posted the highest proficiency rates in English language arts and social studies, while Rhea County led the region in math.
Here’s how districts in the Tennessee portion of the NewsChannel 9 viewing area performed:
Hamilton County:
- English language arts: 40.3%
- Math: 39.9%
- Social studies: 49.7%
Bradley County:
- English language arts: 45.1%
- Math: 43.5%
- Social studies: 46.7%
Marion County:
- English language arts: 37.9%
- Math: 30.6%
- Social studies: 43.3%
Grundy County:
- English language arts: 32.1%
- Math: 30.7%
- Social studies: 39.4%
Sequatchie County:
- English language arts: 34.1%
- Math: 32.0%
- Social studies: 46.4%
Bledsoe County:
- English language arts: 39.8%
- Math: 34.8%
- Social studies: 49.8%
Rhea County:
- English language arts: 44.0%
- Math: 46.1%
- Social studies: 51.4%
Meigs County:
- English language arts: 37.3%
- Math: 32.2%
- Social studies: 41.0%
McMinn County:
- English language arts: 41.1%
- Math: 39.5%
- Social studies: 50.0%
Polk County:
- English language arts: 35.1%
- Math: 27.2%
- Social studies: 43.0%
Cleveland City Schools:
- English language arts: 33.9%
- Math: 31.3%
- Social studies: 36.0%
Dayton City Schools:
- English language arts: 45.7%
- Math: 45.2%
- Social studies: 63.9%
Richard Hardy Memorial School:
- English language arts: 23.6%
- Math: 25.0%
- Social studies: 21.4%
Etowah City Schools:
- English language arts: 34.0%
- Math: 34.0%
- Social studies: 30.6%
Several local districts finished above the statewide proficiency average.
Bradley County, Rhea County and Dayton City exceeded the state average in both English language arts and math.
Rhea County and Dayton City also outperformed the statewide average in social studies, while McMinn County matched the state average in that subject.
Hamilton County school leaders are expected to present a more detailed look at the district’s TCAP results during Thursday night’s school board meeting.
Depend on us to keep you posted.
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