Apr 3, 2015 2 min read

DONORA – A Utah-based chemical explosives manufacturer will idle its Donora plant May 1, blaming the move on a decline in the production of Appalachian coal.

The decision will put an undisclosed number of Dyno Nobel employees out of work in Donora while the company evaluates whether the market will warrant the resumption of ammonium nitrate production at the plant, the Salt Lake city company stated in a news release. The company said it would continue to seek opportunities in the market.

“Dyno Nobel will do all it can to support affected employees and their families during this transition over the coming weeks,” Dyno Nobel spokesman Jeff Droubay said.

The company has created a team to assist its employees who become laid off because of the plant idling, he said.

The plant will remain operational, however, with a reduced staff to fulfill orders. It employs 42 people, Droubay said.

The company has stockpiled as much as 23 million pounds of ammonia in Donora, while Pennsylvania officials have not disclosed how much ammonium nitrate is stored in the state for public safety reasons, PublicSource reported in July 2013.

Dyno Nobel remained committed to causing “zero harm,” Droubay said.

The Donora plant makes explosive pellets used in coal mining and at quarries.

The idling of the plant off Scott Street in the Donora Industrial Park comes at a time when Donora’s downtown has been crippled by the 2009 closing of the historic Donora-Webster Bridge, which is now under demolition.