Work crews will begin cleanup next week at the site where a Clinton Township smoke shop was destroyed by a massive explosion that killed one person, federal officials said Wednesday.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the cleanup would take several months and cost an estimated $2.7 million.
EPA officials said the goal of the work is to remove hazardous waste from the site of the former Goo Smoke Shop/Select Distributors Warehouse on 15 Mile Road at the Groesbeck Highway.
“Residents may see heavy equipment in preparation for cleanup operations that will begin next week,” the EPA said in a press release.
The explosion and ensuing fire on March 4 rocked central Macomb County and sent debris flying for miles. One of an estimated 1,000 metal canisters at the scene fatally struck a 19-year-old man and another injured a county firefighter.
In May, the EPA conducted an initial cleanup operation, degassing and recycling 3,582 intact compressed gas cylinders and removing three 55-gallon drums containing lithium-ion batteries.
Starting next week, workers will address remaining hazardous materials on the site, including open butane gas cans, intact compressed gas cylinders, e-cigarettes and lithium-ion batteries, the press release said.
The EPA has been preparing for cleanup this week by implementing on-site controls, including deploying work trailers and additional fencing, and mobilizing construction equipment, technicians and security personnel.
Federal regulators will conduct air and particle monitoring in the area during ongoing operations to ensure the protection of public health and the environment, the press release said.
Clinton Township officials said Noor Kestou, the owner of the Goo Smoke Shop, has stated through his attorney that he does not have sufficient financial resources to proceed with the cleanup of the property.
The Macomb County District Attorney’s Office has charged Kestou, 31, of Commerce Township, with manslaughter in the death of Turner Salter, who was struck in the head by flying debris from the explosion. A probable cause hearing was scheduled for this week but was postponed until Oct. 28, according to court records.
Goo Smoke Shop was used as a wholesaler of vape pens, CBD products, hookahs, lighters and other novelty items, the EPA said.
According to initial reports, around 100,000 cans of highly refined butane, thousands of compressed gas cylinders containing nitrous oxide and thousands of e-cigarettes with lithium-ion batteries were found.
The fire and resulting projectile explosions, which continued for hours on the night of March 4, scattered potentially contaminated debris several kilometers in various directions.
In the days following the fire, EPA officials conducted aerial surveillance, stabilized the fire scene, and surveyed a half-mile radius around the fire site to identify areas of debris, then collected the materials and prepared them on-site for proper disposal.
Township officials have indicated that the Goo Smoke Shop property may be placed on the EPA’s Superfund list, but federal officials said that has not happened yet.
To learn more, visit the EPA’s Goo Smoke Shop website.
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