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WOODS CROSS -- Officials say they will restart a crude oil refining unit at Utah's Silver Eagle refinery, where a huge gas explosion in November led the company to decide to temporarily shut down the location.
There were no injuries in the Nov. 4 explosion at the Woods Cross refinery, but several nearby homes were damaged.
Brittany Bennett was home when the blast occurred, and she says it has affected her life.
"I still am very sensitive to loud noises and to large trains that go by, 'cause any time I feel a rumble or a loud noise it just makes my heart beat a little bit faster," Bennett says.
She understands the refinery needs to open back up, she just withes it wasn't at the end of the month. The refining unit is scheduled to restart on Jan. 24.
Regardless, Woods Cross resident Annika Lindhart says Silver Eagle still has a long way to go before it can gain trust back.
"They're gonna have to do what's necessary to prove that," Lindhart said. "I'm not exactly sure what those steps are, [but] make sure that things are safe over there."
A little more than a week after the explosion, company officials accepted a recommendation from investigators to shut down the refinery until it was deemed safe to reopen.
Silver Eagle Vice President of Reining and Operations Mike Redd says the refinery's insurance company has received 271 damage claims. About 45 have been settled with residents.
Redd says the refinery is being inspected and new protocols will be in place before it is running again.
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Story compiled with contributions from Cleon Wall and The Associated Press.
