Eastway Tank owner charged in 2022 explosion that killed 6 at Ottawa business

The owner of the company is now facing criminal charges after an explosion killed six employees nearly four years ago. CTV’s Tyler Fleming reports.

The owner of Eastway Tank Pump and Meter is facing criminal charges in connection with an explosion that killed six people at the business in Ottawa’s south end three-and-a-half years ago.

The Ottawa Police Service announced Friday that Neil Greene, 51, is charged with six counts of criminal negligence causing death in connection with the explosion and massive fire at the tank truck manufacturer on Merivale Road on Jan. 13, 2022.

Greene is also charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm.

Employees Rick Bastien, Etienne Mabiala, Danny Beale, Kayla Ferguson, Russell McLellan and Matt Kearney died in the explosion at Eastway Tank. Tanner Clement suffered serious injuries in the incident.

Jackie Beale describes her brother Danny Beale as the person she could always turn to.

“He was just a gentle giant. He was very loving,” she said. “He was always that person I would call. I still see him everywhere. My sister has two kids that never got to meet him, so I feel luck with my daughter.”

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Beale said she has accepted her brother’s death but hopes his death along with those of his five co-workers, leads to change.

“It would be nice to kind of have it put to bed because when this does come up, you hit the wall of bringing yourself back to the first day a little bit, and it’s never nice. I think a lot of it is trying to kind of move on,” she said. “And for me, I think to really just feel like his death meant something... It would be nice for something to come out of it, for sure. And that, for me, would just be specifically in the realm of making sure that industry is following proper safety protocol. These six people didn’t need to die.”

She said the charges now before the courts give her a different perspective.

“The explosion happens and then you hear all this stuff afterwards and you’re like, wow. So then it kind of puts you in this whole other place — you see it through a different lens,” said Beale. “There’s kind of like a little bit of justice to a degree. It’s just unfortunate it has to be at the expense of someone.”

Greene’s lawyers, Kirstin Macrae and Mark Ertel, issued a statement, calling the events “a horrible tragedy for all concerned.”

“There was no evidence of criminal negligence...” said the statement to CTV News Ottawa Friday morning.

“None in the next year of thorough ministry investigation with experts, including the Ontario Fire Marshal. None in the full year the matter was before the courts and resolved as a regulatory violation, not a criminal offence. None for more than a year after the case was resolved. Our position is that there never was and is not now evidence to justify criminal negligence allegations,” reads the statement.

“Public pressure is not a substitute for evidence.”

Greene was released from custody on Thursday and will appear in court in October.

The president of the Ottawa and District Labour Council said he hopes the charges send a message to employers.

“It’s the second time in the city of Ottawa, and surrounding areas, that an employer, the company, has been charged with criminal negligence causing death in respect to a worker fatality at the workplace,” said Sean McKenny. “We have some great employers in the city of Ottawa, there’s no question about that. They adhere to health and safety regulations ... but there are instances where you have an employer that may look the other way to save a few dollars, whatever the reason may be. So we’re hopeful that this sends a very direct message to employers, not just in the city, but across the province, across the country, that you have a responsibility as an employer to those workers at your workplace.”

In April 2024, Eastway Tank pleaded guilty to two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, while Greene pleaded guilty to one charge.

The judge ordered the company to pay a $600,000 fine, plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge. Greene will pay an $80,000 fine, with a 25 per cent victim surcharge.

Eastway Tank and Greene had no Occupational Health and Safety Act convictions prior to the deadly explosion, according to the agreed statement of facts in the Occupational Health and Safety Act case.

Eastway Tank Pump and Meter Ltd. was a custom manufacturer of tank trucks for both the North American and international markets.

The company was established in 1968. Their product lines include petroleum trucks and trailers, water trucks, military refuelers and fire trucks, according to the company’s LinkedIn page.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Tyler Fleming