A petroleum-based manufacturing plant exploded, releasing several contaminants into the air, soil and nearby Tangipahoa River on Aug. 22.
The plant was owned and operated by Smitty’s Supply, a lubricant manufacturer.
The release of contaminants and chemicals from the explosion poses significant environmental threats to the surrounding communities. First responders initially placed an evacuation zone spanning a one-mile radius to assess the damage. The evacuation zone has since been lifted, and the explosion was extinguished on Sept. 9.
The Environmental Protection Agency has been involved in the cleanup process and assessing the potential environmental impacts of the explosion. Most of the recovery efforts are concentrated on the Tangipahoa River, which was contaminated with oil for several miles. Residents reported oil in Lake Pontchartrain, nearly 40 miles south of Smitty’s Supply.
Significant progress has been made in the cleanup process. As of Sept. 8, roughly 3.5 million gallons of material were gathered from various locations.
In addition to the EPA’s testing, recent independent testing revealed that chemicals and heavy metals from the explosion spread miles beyond the initial blast area.
Scott Smith, the independent contamination expert who led the testing effort, found elevated levels of barium, manganese, lead and nickel in communities up to six miles away. These metals can be detrimental depending on quantity and the level of exposure.
The long-term effects of the explosion on the surrounding communities are still being determined. Rustin Reed, the program director of industrial hygiene at Tulane University, discussed the significance of the explosion.
“We should certainly care about it. I think anyone who is impacted in any way is a stakeholder in this sort of situation,” Reed said. “Collectively, not just Tulane, but as a community, at every level, [we should] look for ways to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”
In addition to heavy metals, the explosion also released volatile organic compounds, namely unburned carbon.
“I would be concerned about those particulates now. The black soot that you see is mostly unburnt carbon. Now carbon itself, I’m not necessarily concerned about, but one thing that is a problem with unburned carbon is that it can absorb gases and vapors that are around it,” Reed said. “So, you’re not getting just the carbon, but you are getting some of those volatile organic compounds that are more of a concern.”
“As an environmental fraternity, we are deeply concerned about the recent explosion in Tangipahoa Parish,” Caroline Kinsey, president of the Sigma chapter of the Epsilon Eta environmental fraternity, said. “This tragedy shows the result of industries placing production over community protection.”