Scott Smith has had his fair share of experience with disasters, including working with fishermen to get foam on the water following the BP oil spill. Now, he's boots on the ground in Roseland following that Aug. 22 explosion at Smitty's Supply. "Right now, we're trying to get close to ground zero, which we are," said Smith as he collected samples from a pond near the blast site. "How far is this oil spreading? It's clearly spreading."For the past two weeks, he has been traveling around Tangipahoa collecting water and ground samples. "What this will give us here today is a fingerprint of the chemical mixture and composition of this specific oil and toxic contamination," said Smith. "So, then we can match it up with 50 miles-plus downstream and figure out how far the oil is."Smith is set to release his initial findings from samples taken Aug. 24 and 25 during a Thursday night town hall in Roseland. It comes as the EPA is working to clean up and clear the actual site of the blast. Many Smitty's employees still have their vehicles at that location, and they are damaged beyond repair. "What we need to do is be able to move these vehicles so we can get our big trucks and clean-up equipment in," said Adam Weece with EPA. In order for those out-of-work employees to better locate those vehicles after they are moved, the EPA is color-coding them and marking them with a number. "So, we can move these vehicles, but even after they're moved, we'll know where they originally were, and owners will be able to find them, and the insurance companies can do their due diligence," said Weece. As for Smith, he's doing his own due diligence and is hoping to truly clear the air for families. "The most important thing to the residents is to know what their children, grandchildren, pets, horses, animals, and so on have, may have been exposed to," said Smith.
Scott Smith has had his fair share of experience with disasters, including working with fishermen to get foam on the water following the BP oil spill.
Now, he's boots on the ground in Roseland following that Aug. 22 explosion at Smitty's Supply.
"Right now, we're trying to get close to ground zero, which we are," said Smith as he collected samples from a pond near the blast site. "How far is this oil spreading? It's clearly spreading."
For the past two weeks, he has been traveling around Tangipahoa collecting water and ground samples.
"What this will give us here today is a fingerprint of the chemical mixture and composition of this specific oil and toxic contamination," said Smith. "So, then we can match it up with 50 miles-plus downstream and figure out how far the oil is."
Smith is set to release his initial findings from samples taken Aug. 24 and 25 during a Thursday night town hall in Roseland.
It comes as the EPA is working to clean up and clear the actual site of the blast. Many Smitty's employees still have their vehicles at that location, and they are damaged beyond repair.
"What we need to do is be able to move these vehicles so we can get our big trucks and clean-up equipment in," said Adam Weece with EPA.
In order for those out-of-work employees to better locate those vehicles after they are moved, the EPA is color-coding them and marking them with a number.
"So, we can move these vehicles, but even after they're moved, we'll know where they originally were, and owners will be able to find them, and the insurance companies can do their due diligence," said Weece.
As for Smith, he's doing his own due diligence and is hoping to truly clear the air for families.
"The most important thing to the residents is to know what their children, grandchildren, pets, horses, animals, and so on have, may have been exposed to," said Smith.