Clinton Township blast site inspection done, but others remain, supervisor says

Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon announced publicly Monday the township has completed the field portion of its investigation into a March 4 explosion, and asked residents to be patient with the slow pace as probes by other entities remain.

"This might seem like an eternity to the public and to the board," Cannon said during a board of trustees meeting. "But the most important priority is that we investigate completely and properly. We, the township board, and the public, have to be steadfast in our commitment to get answers.

"We need everyone's patience as the experts diligently do their work, even if it's not going as quickly as we would all like. And it is not."

The Clinton Township Fire Department has finished looking through the debris on the Select Distributors property on 15 Mile Road. A vape supply facility was destroyed by a fire and explosions last month, killing a 19-year-old and injuring a firefighter. Cannon said at the meeting that the overall investigation into the incident remained ongoing.

“There are videos to review, financial records to go over and many interviews to conduct,” he said.

The owner and lessor of the building, their insurance companies and others haven't finished their investigations of the incident. Cannon said the private sector probes will be done with its inspection April 21.  

The township will update the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office "as soon as possible with what we have," he said. If the office has questions, additional work will be done, he said.

The facility, identified also as home to the Goo Smoke Shop, stored containers of butane, nitrous oxide, lighter fluid and vape pens, according to the township. Some containers or canisters were 12-18 inches in size and weighed 10-15 pounds. The canisters were not on the premises legally, Cannon said after the fire.

Questions remain about what agency or agencies regulate the materials found at the site. Several federal or state agencies contacted by The Detroit News — including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy — said they don't manage the storage of butane and nitrous oxide at the site. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, however, said it regulates workplace safety at most industries in Michigan, but it wasn't investigating the incident.

Cannon told The News last week that he would like laws changed that would allow local governments to check in on businesses like Select Distributors a couple years after their initial fire inspection.

asnabes@detroitnews.com