The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has entered into a consent order with Smitty’s Supply, Inc. to manage the cleanup of its facility in Roseland, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, which was damaged by a fire on August 22. The company will be responsible for the cleanup at the site and cover certain costs incurred by the United States. Additionally, the EPA has issued a Pollution Removal Funding Authorization (PRFA) to Louisiana for continued cleanup efforts of the Tangipahoa River and nearby ponds under EPA oversight.
EPA Region 6 Administrator Scott Mason said, "EPA has been here from day one working tirelessly to protect the communities in Tangipahoa Parish impacted by the fire." He emphasized that progress has been made in collaboration with state and parish partners and other federal agencies.
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) Secretary Burdette commented on the agreement's importance: "This agreement is a critical step in holding Smitty’s Supply accountable and ensuring the long-term protection of Louisiana’s environment and communities." LDEQ will work alongside EPA to oversee cleanup efforts.
Under the consent order effective today, Smitty’s Supply is tasked with preventing further off-site releases, disposing of contaminated materials properly, and managing hazardous substances not affected by the incident. If Smitty’s fails to meet these requirements, EPA will take over operations again.
The PRFA allows EPA to administer funds from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund through the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Pollution Funds Center to reimburse Louisiana for ongoing cleanup costs. The LDEQ will act as state on-scene coordinator while Tangipahoa Parish Government serves as local on-scene coordinator under a declared emergency.
The incident began when an explosion and fire occurred at Smitty’s Supply's facility involving above-ground storage tanks. Local authorities initially enforced a one-mile evacuation radius around the site. For more information about this incident and ongoing efforts, visit www.epa.gov/smittys-supply-fire.
Information from this article can be found here.
