Louisiana governor says there’s no sign of ‘imminent danger’ after fire at auto lubricant plant

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Following a massive fire on Friday at an automotive lubricant plant in southeast Louisiana, residents are reporting soot on cars and oily residue in nearby bodies of water.

But Gov. Jeff Landry said that there is no indication of an “immediate danger to wildlife or to human health.”

“From what I have been told — from what I can see — there is no imminent danger to any life or property, other than that we have to clean up a big mess,” Landry said during a press conference Monday.

As crews neared extinguishing the blaze and many evacuated residents were allowed to return home, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was collecting samples of the soil, water and debris and setting up floating barriers along the Tangipahoa River in an effort to contain the spread of the unknown chemicals.

The fire ignited Friday following multiple explosions at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland, a small town around 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Baton Rouge. Officials said they are still unsure of what caused the explosions.

The blaze, which amassed to 20 acres (8 hectares), forced around 800 residents to evacuate, Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said.

Miraculously, there were no injuries, Miller said. And as of Monday afternoon, the fire was 98% contained and all but seven households had been allowed to return home.

Officials have touted the response as a success between local, parish, state and federal agencies. But residents are raising concerns about the debris and questions linger.

Images shared by residents and media outlets show oily residue floating atop creeks, ponds and the Tangipahoa River, and drops of black soot left behind on cars and businesses after a rainstorm.

“It doesn’t surprise me that we’ve seen the pictures that we’ve seen — we’re dealing with hydrocarbons, with petroleum-based products. We’re dealing with a lot of soot. It was a big fire. It was a mess. And we’re here to say that we’re going to get it cleaned up,” Landry said.

While officials say the fire involved multiple above-ground storage tanks, drums and cylinders, it is unclear what exactly was stored in the plant during the blaze.

Landry, who has not spoken with Smitty’s Supply, said “from what I have gleaned, most of it is petroleum-based products used in lubricants.” But officials have been unable to provide additional specifics.

Per the company’s website, Smitty’s Supply delivers “high performance lubricants and automotive parts,” including oils, brake fluid, power steering fluid and antifreeze.

The company has faced scrutiny in the past, including being cited multiple times by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to records. Attempts to reach company officials have been unsuccessful.

The contents of the soot, soil and water were being tested by environmental agencies. As of Monday afternoon, the results were not yet available.

Landry asked the public to be patient and said that “if anything changes,” he will make that information available.

Additionally Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality is continuing to conduct air monitoring. As of Monday afternoon those results have not shown anything of “health-based concern,” said agency head Courtney Burdette.

When it comes to nearby bodies of water, a section of Tangipahoa River — which flows to Lake Pontchartrain, the largest inland body of water in Louisiana — has been closed off. The EPA deployed about 5,900 feet (1,798 meters) of containment boom in the river.

Landry said he is unaware of any tap water issues.

On Monday morning, parish and town officials urged residents to avoid direct contact with soot and to wash their hands.

A nearby elementary school, which was evacuated after the fire, announced that it was doing its own sanitizing ahead of its anticipated reopening on Tuesday. Crews spent Monday cleaning sidewalks, walkways, inside buildings and playgrounds.

“Every safety precaution has been taken to ensure that students are in a safe learning environment,” read a post on the Roseland Montessori School’s Facebook page.