TAYLOR, Mich. – Residents of the Dupage Green Condominiums in Taylor were rattled by another nearby explosion Friday morning (March 14).
Dewey Allen, the head of maintenance for the condos, was in the community building when it happened.
“This one shook the walls. It was severe,” he said.
Carol Thompson, a resident, expressed the community’s frustration.
“You don’t know when it’s coming,” she said. ”You always have the thought in the back of your head if it is doing any structural damage over time.”
A Taylor spokesperson confirmed the explosion originated from Fritz Enterprises on Pennsylvania Road near Telegraph Road. Workers were shredding a crushed vehicle when it exploded, possibly due to a gas or propane tank. While explosions are not uncommon, this one was notably larger, the spokesperson said.
Fritz Enterprises denied an explosion had occurred to Local 4 before it was confirmed by a Taylor official. Local 4 sent a follow-up email and is awaiting a response from Fritz Enterprises as of the publishing of this article.
“It’s sad to say, but it’s become our way of life here,” Allen said. “I think it should absolutely stop. The residents have a right to peace, and that peace is constantly interrupted by these explosions.”
Thompson, who also works in the community building, has been proactive in seeking solutions.
“I have been in contact with people from the Environmental Protection Agency, and they have followed up,” she said.
But the quiet that followed was only temporary.
“We would love for it to stop or at least be controlled. Accidents happen occasionally, but not like this. it happens too often,” Thompson said.
An EGLE spokesperson told Local 4 that Michigan does have a state noise ordinance, and complaints are handled by local law enforcement.
