Latest Weather Blog
EPA responds to documents that suggest the agency knew more about risks to public health impact
Related Story
ROSELAND — Last week, we told you about EPA documents obtained by Steve Middendorp, a reporter for the HighWire, through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The documents filed Aug. 27 outline a request for emergency removal at the Smitty's Supply site.
The EPA's on-scene coordinator claims in the paperwork that the closest residential area is half a mile to the west of the site. It goes on to say that the hazardous substances are unsecured in the environment and pose a grave threat to human health.
But, a press release posted the same day on the EPA's website seems to imply otherwise, stating there is no indication of any imminent threat to public health from the soot or smoke residue.
We spoke with independent test expert Scott Smith about the documents last week.
"It's pretty clear, I mean, the EPA's own words, that they hid from the public a grave threat to human health, and that is what's playing out. You can see in my testing the spread of the contamination is ongoing," Smith said.
We reached out to the EPA for comment when we first reported the story.
Friday morning, they sent a response. A spokesperson for the agency says the language in the EPA's initial action memo for the Smitty's Supply response addressed site conditions of an active fire and the threat of more explosions.
The EPA says it sampled water sediment at 16 locations along the Tangipahoa River to assess potential risk to human health from activities like swimming and wading. 210 substances were analyzed in the samples. The agency says during the first two rounds, no elevated levels of any substances above the screening level were shown.
However, nearly eight months after the explosion, residents in Roseland say they have experienced issues with their health.
"We have people that have headaches, joint pains, migraines, sore throat, strep throat, kids are missing school because of sickness, and the powers that be are covering this up," Roseland resident and Pastor Marvin Vernon said.
You can read the full statement from the EPA below:
The language in EPA’s initial action memo for the Smitty’s Supply response addressed site conditions of an active fire and threat of more explosions. During this phase of the response, EPA recommended to local law enforcement to close highways near Smitty’s Supply and prohibit access to the site except for response personnel wearing appropriate protective gear.
EPA conducted surface water sediments sampling at 16 locations along the Tangipahoa River to assess potential risks to human health from common river recreational activities such as swimming or wading and to evaluate trends that may indicate areas of greatest impact. The samples were analyzed for 210 substances including total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dioxins and furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). All surface water and sediment samples collected in rounds 1 and 2 were analyzed and showed no elevated levels of any substances above screening levels. Throughout the response, EPA issued multiple press releases, created a hub site, answered media questions, used its social media accounts and engaged directly with community members to keep the public informed of any potential hazards throughout the cleanup progress.
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Order has a stormwater plan that involves the continuous sampling of an area if there is an uncontrolled discharge. The sampling would continue until that discharge is secured.
For more information about the current or future operations of the Smitty’s Supply cleanup, we recommend contacting the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQCommunications@la.gov). Since October 15th, the Smitty’s Supply fire cleanup response is being carried out by Smitty’s Supply and the State of Louisiana under EPA oversight.
News
