EPA report details widespread damage and spills at fire-damaged Smitty's Supply facility

Neighbors and lawmakers raise concerns over continued operations and lack of progress on cleanup efforts

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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An Environmental Protection Agency inspection conducted months after a major explosion and fire at the Smitty's Supply facility in Roseland, Louisiana has uncovered extensive damage, chemical spills, and unsafe conditions across the property. The 200-page report documents over 200 individual spill areas, 250 damaged or deteriorating containers, and more than 300 unlabeled or unidentified substances. Residents living near the site say the findings reflect their ongoing concerns, while state lawmakers question how the facility has been allowed to continue operating and when a comprehensive cleanup will begin.

Why it matters

The EPA report has fueled growing legal action and scrutiny from the local community and state officials over the handling of the Smitty's Supply facility in the aftermath of the August explosion and fire. Residents say their quality of life has been severely impacted, with some families restricting outdoor activities for their children, and concerns about the long-term effects on property values. Lawmakers are now examining whether existing environmental laws and enforcement are sufficient to address the situation.

The details

The EPA inspection found widespread damage and safety issues across the Smitty's Supply property, including buckled storage tanks, cracked containment walls, open drums and leaking containers, stacks of unstable pallets, and drainage ditches filled with oily residue. Inspectors also documented the presence of barrels marked "radioactive" without clear labeling of their contents. The report raises concerns about hazardous waste management, container storage practices, and the facility's contingency planning.

  • The EPA inspection was conducted in early October, several months after the August 22nd explosion and fire at the Smitty's Supply facility.
  • Smitty's Supply has already begun discharging treated stormwater into the Tangipahoa River, despite ongoing community concerns.

The players

Smitty's Supply

The Roseland, Louisiana-based company that operates the chemical storage and distribution facility where the August explosion and fire occurred.

Jody Hart

A retired disabled veteran who lives less than a mile from the Smitty's Supply facility and has been using a drone to document conditions at the site.

Robby Carter

A Louisiana state representative whose district includes the Roseland area and who is part of a class-action lawsuit against Smitty's Supply.

Roseland Resident

A mother who says her family has had to limit outdoor activities and even move her child out of the local school due to concerns over the Smitty's Supply facility.

Rob Miller

The Tangipahoa Parish President, who declined to be interviewed for this story.

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What they’re saying

“I live a half a mile from the site and that's scary.”

— Jody Hart, Retired Disabled Veteran (WDSU)

“Yeah, we feel like we haven't been heard, like it's been swept under the rug.”

— Jody Hart, Retired Disabled Veteran (WDSU)

“We don't even let her play outside. She's not allowed to play outside. I mean, we kept her off the playground at school. We've moved her out of the school.”

— Roseland Resident, Mother (WDSU)

“There's a lot of violations to still allow them to be in business, and even more questions about how it was handled, things like that bother me because when the site was turned back over to Smitty's by the EPA, we were under the standing that Smitty's would immediately begin work to clean it up. And we haven't seen that.”

— Robby Carter, Louisiana State Representative (WDSU)

“How do we solve the problem for the people of Roseland and the surrounding area? They are the ones that count. We need to get them answers, and they want to know answers now.”

— Robby Carter, Louisiana State Representative (WDSU)

What’s next

The judge in the class-action lawsuit against Smitty's Supply will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the company to continue discharging treated stormwater into the Tangipahoa River.

The takeaway

The EPA's damning inspection report has heightened concerns among Roseland residents and state lawmakers about the ongoing operations and lack of progress on cleanup efforts at the Smitty's Supply facility. With multiple lawsuits and regulatory actions underway, the community is demanding swift action and accountability to address the widespread environmental damage and safety issues documented by federal inspectors.