Current:Home > StocksEPA takes charge of Detroit-area cleanup of vaping supplies warehouse destroyed by explosions-InfoLens
EPA takes charge of Detroit-area cleanup of vaping supplies warehouse destroyed by explosions
View Date:2024-12-23 15:02:09
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — The federal government is leading a cleanup of the hazardous remains of a Detroit-area storage site for vaping supplies, five months after explosions destroyed the building, sent debris flying for miles and killed a man.
Goo Smoke Shop in Macomb County’s Clinton Township was stuffed with vape pens, butane cannisters, nitrous oxide cylinders and lithium batteries. While loads of debris have been recovered in the surrounding area, there is still more work to be done.
“We don’t know what we’re going to find in there,” Sean Kane of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told reporters Tuesday, though more butane and nitrous oxide are likely.
“We are actually going to go in and start segregating all the hazardous materials, and we will be doing a full removal of everything that you see in the background,” Kane said.
Behind a fence, the 28,000-square-foot property is in ruins. The roof collapsed during the March fire and explosions. Mounds of charred, twisted metal framed by a few steel girders still remain.
“We’re going to be ramping up after Labor Day with more personnel on site,” said Kane, who is coordinating the effort.
Authorities said the disaster was caused by the poor storage of volatile materials. The owner has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 19-year-old man who was struck by a nitrous oxide cannister a quarter-mile away.
Kane said the EPA took on a larger role when cleanup talks between the government and responsible parties reached a standstill. The estimated cost is more than $2 million.
“There’s a stockpile of materials here the local fire department didn’t know about, the state of Michigan didn’t know about,” Kane said.
Clinton Township’s top elected official, Supervisor Bob Cannon, said the EPA “grabbed it by the horns” and has been “fabulous.”
The owner said through his attorney that he doesn’t have enough money to fix the mess, Cannon said.
“When they’re done, this property will be pristine and it will go for sale, and we will have something here that we can be proud of again,” he said.
___
Follow Ed White at https://twitter.com/edwritez
veryGood! (94)
Related
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul press conference highlights: 'Problem Child' goads 'Iron Mike'
- Stock market today: Asian shares shrug off Wall St blues as China leaves lending rate unchanged
- Celebrity handbag designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
- Michigan woman wins $2M lottery jackpot after buying ticket on the way to pick up pizza
- 'Squid Game' creator lost '8 or 9' teeth making Season 1, explains Season 2 twist
- TikToker Eva Evans, Creator of Club Rat Series, Dead at 29
- Bringing back the woolly mammoth to roam Earth again. Is it even possible? | The Excerpt
- 'Sasquatch Sunset' spoilers! Bigfoot movie makers explain the super-weird film's ending
- South Carolina to take a break from executions for the holidays
- Jared Kushner Has Big Plans for Delta of Europe’s Last Wild River
Ranking
- Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
- Prosecutors to make history with opening statements in hush money case against Trump
- New Hampshire man convicted of killing daughter, 5, ordered to be at sentencing after skipping trial
- The US is expected to block aid to an Israeli military unit. What is Leahy law that it would cite?
- Mandy Moore Captures the Holiday Vibe With These No Brainer Gifts & Stocking Stuffer Must-Haves
- Nuggets shake off slow start to Game 1, beat Lakers for ninth straight time
- Tesla cuts US prices for 3 of its electric vehicle models after a difficult week
- House passes legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S.
Recommendation
-
How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
-
Biden is marking Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal solar power grants
-
From 'homeless among the clouds' to working with Robert Downey Jr., Kieu Chinh keeps going
-
QSCHAINCOIN Review: Ideal for Altcoin Traders
-
'Unfortunate error': 'Wicked' dolls with porn site on packaging pulled from Target, Amazon
-
Protect Your QSCHAINCOIN Account With Security & Data Privacy Best Practices
-
Texas boy was 7 when he fatally shot a man he didn't know, child tells law enforcement
-
No Black WNBA players have a signature shoe. Here's why that's a gigantic problem.