CAMBRIA, Wis. (WFRV) – The United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) said on Monday that a company in Wisconsin has so far failed to implement nine safety recommendations that were made from an investigation into a fatal 2017 explosion.
In May 2017, explosions rocked Didion Milling, Inc.’s facility in Cambria, killing five employees and seriously injuring 14 additional people. The recommendations stemmed from the CSB’s investigation, which was finalized in December 2023 as part of their final report.
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According to a CSB release, none of those recommendations have been implemented as of August 11, 2025, over eight years after the fatal explosions. The CSB also added that it has not received an ‘adequate response’ about the status, even with several efforts to reach out.
“The CSB formally transmitted the safety recommendations to Didion in a letter dated December 11, 2023, from the CSB’s Director of Recommendations, Charles Barbee, to Riley Didion, the company’s president. Didion itself has never responded to the CSB’s letter. Instead, after nearly seven months, on July 9, 2024, the CSB received a letter from Didion’s attorneys that did not substantively address the CSB’s safety recommendations.”
On August 5, 2025, CSB Executive Director of Investigations and Recommendations Stephen Klejst sent another letter to Riley Didion requesting a response and offering a final opportunity to implement safety recommendations.
If Didion officials fail to respond and make no attempt to implement the recommendations, the CSB Board could close the suggestions with a formal ‘Closed – Unacceptable Response/No Response Received’ designation.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens released the following statement:
“Most companies willingly implement the safety recommendations that they receive as a result of the CSB’s investigations. Because the CSB is a nonregulatory agency that does not issue fines or citations, safety recommendations are the primary tool that the agency has to help prevent future horrific incidents that kill and seriously injure people like the massive explosions that occurred at Didion’s facility. We urge Didion to respond constructively and take action toward implementing these recommendations.”
U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Chairperson Steve Owens
Multiple managers were indicted in 2022 by a federal grand jury, as they were accused of attempting to obstruct and mislead an investigation into the fatal incident led by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
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Two former Didion Milling officials were sentenced to prison in 2024 for falsifying records and obstructing the investigation. The owners of the corn mill pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2023, as they were ordered to pay over $10 million to the estates of those who were killed in the explosions.
The release did not provide a final deadline for a response. The full report can be viewed below.
