Shannon Riley’s reputation as a specialist in addressing hazardous waste spills helped her Birmingham-based company gain work helping clean up parts of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

The April 27 tornadoes that decimated neighborhoods across Alabama have created more opportunities for Riley’s firm, One Stop Environmental in Woodlawn, and she relishes the chance to help her native state recover.

Riley, who grew up in Mountain Brook and got her chemistry degree from the University of Alabama, says much of her staff has been busy over the past month helping Jefferson County residents and business owners deal with piles of tornado debris. Riley said they have been able to provide guidance on how to deal with hazardous household materials and other items that must be carefully handled to protect neighborhoods and the environment.

The items include asbestos, flammable liquids including gasoline and corrosive materials such as battery acid.

“Removing these materials can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing,” she said.

One Stop Environmental is among several companies federal and local agencies, home owners and business owners have turned to as they address the daunting task of cleaning up neighborhoods ripped apart by the twisters’ powerful winds.

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