The Clinton Township explosion that killed a young man and rocked central Macomb County last winter is still being investigated for possible additional criminal activity, township Mayor Bob Cannon said Tuesday after an EPA press conference at the site.
Immediately following the US Environmental Protection Agency’s press conference on site, Cannon stated that the matter was the subject of an “ongoing investigation”.
Noor Kestou, the owner of the Goo Smoke Shop, has already been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of 19-year-old Turner Salter, who was struck in the head by flying debris during the March 4 explosion at the intersection of Groesbeck Highway and 15 Mile Road.
The series of loud explosions and fires, which spanned several hours, sent canisters, knives and other items flying from the warehouse in central Macomb County, sending debris flying for miles.
Cannon made the comments after the EPA announced details of the $2.6 million cleanup effort over the next 100 work days.
“They (the EPA) are here cleaning up, and the district attorney is going to make sure someone pays for this crime that was committed,” Cannon said. “It was illegal to have that amount” of the hazardous materials on site.
A spokesman for the Macomb County Attorney’s Office said Tuesday the department had not received any additional warrant requests related to the site.
A call to a Clinton Township police officer was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Survey: ATM fees reach 26-year high, overdraft fees rise again
The EPA conducted an initial cleanup in May, degassing and recycling 3,582 intact compressed gas cylinders and removing three 55-gallon drums containing lithium-ion batteries.
The cleanup will include removing items that may have been illegally stored in the warehouse from which the items were shipped to the retail stores. EPA staff will arrive on site this week to locate and identify any remaining hazardous materials, including open butane gas cans, intact compressed gas cylinders, e-cigarettes and lithium-ion batteries, officials said.
“They don’t know what’s down there,” Cannon said. “The roof collapsed. We know there are things we don’t know what they are, and we don’t know how dangerous they are.”
EPA officials negotiated with business owner Kestou to cooperate in the cleanup effort, but Kestou indicated through his attorney that he did not have the financial resources to help.
“Our efforts will primarily focus on containing the immediate threat. To do that, we need to remove everything that is here above ground, namely the compressed nitrous oxide cylinders, cans of highly refined butane and the lithium-ion batteries in the e-cigarettes and cartridges” previously identified by the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said Sean Kane, EPA Region 5 Division of Emergency Management response coordinator.
He said the combination of “intact cans of highly refined butane” and “intact compressed gas cylinders of nitrous oxide” could “start another fire”.
“When we go in, we have to assess what the threat level is here,” he said. “Are there other things there that we don’t know about? … We have to assess this as we go, so we have to give the health and safety of the workers on site the highest priority.”
Permits would have to be obtained for the disposal of the batteries, he added.
Among the possible items found was a safe that was located in the facility, Cannon said.
Maryland cases shed light on parental responsibility when a minor commits a crime
“It will be interesting to see what’s in that safe,” he said.
Kane said the EPA will reduce air pollution as much as possible during the “complete cleanup” of the debris, and the site will be monitored visually and with specialized equipment.
“We don’t want any visible emissions from the plant,” he said. “Besides just looking at things visually, we can use engineering, administrative controls and wet methods. We are very conscious of how densely populated this area is with active commercial operations and residential areas.”
Kane said his department is not involved in monitoring or remediating any potential underground contamination.
Officials with the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether EGLE will be involved in underground testing and mitigation efforts.
Victim of e-cigarette explosion in Clinton Twp. remembered as ‘a joy to be around’
EPA begins cleanup after deadly explosion at Macomb County tobacco shop
Commerce Township man in court after March explosion in Clinton Township
Oakland County businessman charged in fatal explosion at e-cigarette store in Clinton Twp.
Township completes part of investigation into explosion hazard at Macomb County e-cigarette store
The explosion site in Clinton Township is still too dangerous for fire investigators
The new COVID vaccine is here. Why you may not want to rush to get it.
