A Port Arthur business, Standard Alloys & Manufacturing Co., has filed suit against Entergy, claiming the power company negligently ignored a faulty transformer, which sparked and caused a fire to spread throughout the plaintiff's foundry.
Seeking economic damages, Standard Alloy, owned by the New York-based Blue Tee Corp., filed its suit on May 30 in Jefferson County District Court.
Standard Alloys is a job shop, foundry and machine shop focused on manufacturing pump replacement parts and other specialty items.
According to the plaintiff's petition, on Sept. 28, 2006, a fire occurred at Standard Alloys' steel foundry, located at 201 Lakeshore Drive in Port Arthur.
"The fire damaged two metal buildings - the foundry building and a pattern storage building - with corrugated metal roofs, electrical switchgear, furnace control panels, a cooling tower, and miscellaneous personal property," the suit says.
Standard Alloys also sustained a business interruption loss as a result of the fire.
Standard Alloy believes the fire originated at a pole-mounted transformer owned Entergy that was located behind the foundry.
"The fire spread from the transformer to Standard Alloys' buildings," the suit states. "The fire was caused by a malfunction in the transformer."
"Entergy owed a duty to exercise proper precautions and to anticipate and prevent injuries to Plaintiff and to the public."
The suit goes on to allege Entergy was negligent for allegedly failing to properly maintain, inspect and test its transformer.
In addition to economic damages, Standard Alloy is suing for interest and all court costs.
The company is demanding a trial by jury and is represented by Dallas attorney James D. Dendinger of the Cozen O'Connor law firm.
Judge Milton Shuffield, 136th Judicial District, has been assigned to the case.
Case No. D181-830