The EPA and U.S. Coast Guard will investigate whether an oil sheen has reached the mouth of the Tangipahoa River and Lake Pontchartrain following heavy rains earlier this week, the federal environmental agency said, as cleanup efforts push ahead following the August explosion and fire at a petroleum plant.

The fire at Smitty's Supply Inc. unleashed an extensive spill of petroleum products into private ponds and the Tangipahoa River that federal contractors are still cleaning up weeks later.

The lubricants and plastic bottle plant had millions of gallons of motor oil, lube oil, mineral spirits, chainsaw oil, gasoline, alkylate gas, glycol, urea, antifreeze, phosphoric acid and other chemicals and hydrocarbons, according to a company inventory EPA has shared.

EPA staffers and contractors

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