WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The White Lake Township fire marshal told 7 Action News waste is being hauled out of an oil production facility where an explosion occurred on Friday night. That has to happen in order for fire investigators to go in and try to determine a cause.
On Monday as Clayton Goers beautified the the property he bought just over a year ago, he recalled the explosion as a rude awakening — both literally and figuratively.
“I think I was out cold (asleep) and then the house rumbled. A huge blast and shook the house," the White Lake Township resident said. “And then when we saw the flames, I thought, what the heck did I buy?”
Goers learned he bought a home near an oil production facility operated by Hound Resources, and he said a second blast about 10 minutes later was just as startling.
He commended first responders for promptly evacuating homes. Authorities said about 30 properties were evacuated and that involved fewer than a hundred people.
According to the fire marshal, canisters and vents that regulate air flow to an underground gas line exploded. However, the cause is still unknown.
While Goers is glad no one was hurt, he’s still left with environmental concerns.
“I don’t want that thing opened again. I didn’t even know it was open," he said.
7 Action News reached out to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
According to EGLE, Hound Resources started operating in Michigan in 2020. The company has acquired 33 oil and gas wells. The state told 7 Action News it inspected the White Lake facility last month and did not observe any violations.
Up in Manistee County, there's one minor violation being addressed.
An EGLE spokesperson said the agency is investigating the explosion, as well as the fire department and Hound Resources.
7 Action News reached out to Hound Resources for comment. The company has not reached us back.
In a statement to 7 Action News, EGLE said, “Currently, the cleanup has started, and we will soon know whether the secondary containment was compromised and to what extent. Fortunately, this was a tertiary system, dual liner system separated by aggregate. Investigation ongoing."
EGLE offered this additional information:
"EGLE’s oil and gas regulations for tank batteries and central production facilities are intended to mitigate risk of such fire or explosion incidents to adjacent properties and the environment. These setback, containment, construction, and operation regulations appeared to have limited impacts to both residents and the environment. The emergency responder’s evacuation of homes nearby was prudent given involvement of sour oil, containing hydrogen sulfide, until levels were verified as safe. Following the emergency responders and operator securing of the scene, EGLE’s Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division (OGMD) has continued to work with Hound Resources to ensure any contaminated fluids and/or soil is cleaned up and properly disposed according to regulations. Hound Resources has contracted McConnell and Scully, Inc. to assist with the cleanup operations. Due to Hound Resources being cautious of the foam used during the firefighting operations they plan on bringing a frac tank to location on liner to store the fluids until the materials can be tested. Fluids and impacted soils will be containerized for disposal, damaged equipment removed from site, and verification samples taken to document clean conditions or any remaining contamination that needs further remediation. The OGMD is hopeful that impacts were successfully contained and that any impacts out of the secondary containment area will be very localized and quickly addressed by the operator. The OGMD will ensure the cleanup, sampling, and testing requirements are done to the satisfaction of the department.
"There are multiple reasons for incidents at oil and gas facilities such as this production facility, ranging from vandalism, to lightning strikes, to heater treater malfunctions, to other less common causes. It is too early to know the cause of this fire but will be determined if possible. The OGMD (EGLE's Oil, Gas, and Mineral's Division) would like to determine the cause, if possible, to learn from the incident and determine if there are further protections that can prevent the incident from occurring in the future. Again, EGLE’s oil and gas regulations for tank batteries and central production facilities are intended to mitigate risk of such incidents to adjacent properties and the environment in the event of fire and explosions. The protections appear to have worked well with this incident, and the department will continue to evaluate the incident with the operator and emergency responders. There is not currently any concern that the incident is connected to any negligence or specific lacking regulatory protections. Hound Resources had been on location at approximately 3:00 PM on November 24, 2023 and no indications of an issue was observed. No employees were on location at the time of the incident."
