Millions of pounds of explosives threaten town seen in ‘True Blood’

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A Louisiana town used in the filming of the HBO vampire drama “True Blood” was evacuated over the weekend after authorities discovered an estimated 6 million pounds of illegally stored explosives.

About 800 residents of the town Doyline, Louisiana began evacuating on Friday ahead of a massive police effort to safely transport a massive quantity of black powder used in artillery shells. The explosives were stored by a company called Explo Systems Inc., which kept large stocks of the powder in boxes lined up outside and in unapproved structures.

Although the explosive force is tremendous and certainly dangerous to the property’s neighbors, authorities warned that the dust potentially kicked up from moving the powder could be deadly if inhaled in great enough quantities.

An investigation was launched after an explosion on October 25. The company had been embroiled in a wage dispute with workers, who sued in September alleging that the company refused to pay for all the overtime hours logged.

The company’s website says it is “compliant with DOD safety regulations and uses only proven, environmentally-safe technologies in recycling operations.”

An attorney in a nearby town said Friday that he’s seeking class-action status for a lawsuit filed by several plaintiffs hoping to recover damages from being forced to evacuate, and for the expected decline in property values in the coming months.

This video is from KSLA-TV in Louisiana, aired November 30, 2012.

KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather
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