EPA to begin cleaning up site of deadly Clinton Township explosion
(CBS DETROIT) – The EPA has been given the go-ahead to allow crews to begin cleaning up the site of March's deadly explosion in Clinton Township.
The EPA will clean up the site of the former Goo Smoke Shop and Select Distributors located near the corner of 15 Mile & Groesbeck Highway. Officials say the building exploded on March 4 because of thousands of nitrous oxide and butane cans that were stored inside.
"We're ready to move on. This is a bad spot on our community and we're ready to clean it up," said Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon.
The owner of the building and business, 31-year-old Noor Kestou of Commerce, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in April. The explosion caused several canisters to propel, with debris raining down more than a mile away from the building's location.
Nineteen-year-old Turner Salter died from injuries he sustained after he was hit in the head by a piece of shrapnel. A firefighter was also taken to a hospital with minor injuries after a piece of debris went through a windshield and clipped the side of his face.
In April, officials announced that Kestou had a one-way ticket to Hong Kong before being arrested. Law enforcement officials received information on April 20 that Kestou was scheduled to depart from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Hong Kong that day. Kestou was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York Port Authority without incident.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said a motion has not been filed to preserve any evidence at the site of the blast.
"We have what we need, and we gave the opportunity for the defense to bring in their own experts, and they have not done that," Lucido said.
Cleanup is expected to start the week of Aug. 19.