The black, oily soot that spewed from the Tangipahoa plant that caught fire and exploded last week does not pose "an imminent threat to public health," regulators said Wednesday, but further details on the substance's contents were not provided and parish officials expressed concerns over the slow release of information.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials issued the finding, but nonetheless warned residents to wash surfaces and their hands if they've come in contact with the material and to avoid concentrated collections of the black residue.

Coating surfaces across the area near Smitty's Supply Inc., the black soot, which fell at least on Friday and Saturday, has become one of several contamination concerns for residents after the devastating fire near Roseland and has be

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