Putnam company indicted in ‘Big Dig’ fatality case

The Putnam County company that provided the epoxy blamed in the fatal “Big Dig” tunnel collapse in Boston was indicted last week in the death of a motorist crushed by ceiling panels.

Powers Fasteners Inc. of Brewster was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, and was the only company involved in the construction and design of the tunnel to be indicted.

A report last month from the National Transportation and Safety Board said the collapse could have been avoided if designers of the tunnel knew the epoxy holding ceiling panels could pull away over time.

In a statement, Powers blamed Big Dig constructors for using the wrong epoxy and not the kind that was ordered from Powers.

“The (Massachusetts) Attorney General (Martha Coakley) well knows that Powers Fasteners filled a special order for a different epoxy ”“ its Standard Set product ”“ for the tunnel ceiling,” said Jeffrey Powers, president of the company. “At no time did anyone ever tell Powers, and Powers never had reason to believe ”“ that its Fast Set product was used in the tunnel ceiling.

A portion of the ceiling collapsed last summer, killing a 38-year-old Costa Rican woman, Milena Del Valle, who was in a vehicle traveling through the tunnel.