CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) – Cleanup efforts will soon begin at the former Select Distributors/Goo Smoke Shop in Clinton Township, where a large and fatal explosion occurred in March.
“You never really imagined you’d see this in your backyard,” said Patrick Dear of Clinton Township. “It’s very surreal. “
Dear lives a few blocks from where Distribuidores Selectos was located.
When the construction exploded, debris flew miles away. A 19-year-old man died after being struck by damaging debris.
VIDEO: Who are Select Distributors? What we know about Clinton Township. A company shaken by an explosion
“Take me to that night, what do you remember?” I dear.
“As it continues to intensify, you may feel the heat coming in waves and everything,” he said.
Dear says he feels pleased to hear that the site cleanup procedure is beginning.
VIDEO: Officials: Clinton Township Owner Explodes. Construction arrested while seeking to leave United States
“You can just walk past it, it’s a horror there,” Dear added.
Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon says the Environmental Protection Agency is leading the cleanup efforts.
“It’s going to take some time, they estimate about a hundred days from the day they start fully operational, which will take about two weeks,” Cannon said.
Cannon says the EPA will take over the initial cleanup.
VIDEO: Video of the helicopter after the large fire and explosion in Clinton Township
“They’ll be on site next week, other people will watch the activity, they’ll see trucks, they’ll see the appliances start coming to the site and that’s the beginning of the end,” Cannon said.
While the place is being cleaned up, Canon sends this message to residents.
“Please stay away from this site, we still have a lot of dangerous fabrics there,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dear says no one in Clinton Township will forget the explosion.
“It was such a chaotic moment that happened in such a short amount of time,” Dear said.
The owner of Select Distributors has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Police say he illegally stored cans of nitrous oxide inside the building. He is due in court on August 20.