The explosion had a dramatic impact on Imperial's business as it took one of the company's two refining plants offline for 18 months.

WSJ: Imperial Sugar to Pay Fines in Deadly Georgia Explosion Case

The impact: an explosion of business applications were developed in response to better serve the American people and the federal agencies.

FORBES: Lessons From President Obama's First CIO

But before the first 24 hours were out, and while the search-and-rescue operation was ongoing, the Coast Guard was eyeing the potential environmental impact of the explosion.

WSJ: Coast Guard Log Details Early Hours of Spill