Resident Raises Concerns Over Smitty's Supply River Contamination

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A Roseland, Louisiana resident who regularly monitors the area around Smitty's Supply with his drone says recent heavy rains may have caused contaminated water from the business site to flow into the nearby Tangipahoa River. Michael Constant claims the ponds on the Smitty's property are heavily polluted, and that authorities are not closely watching the site or doing enough to contain the runoff.

Why it matters

The Tangipahoa River is an important waterway in the region, and any contamination could have significant environmental and public health impacts. Smitty's Supply has faced scrutiny since a major explosion and oil spill at its facility last August, raising concerns about the company's environmental practices and oversight.

The details

Constant says he has drone footage showing contaminated water from the Smitty's ponds overflowing a dam and flowing into the Tangipahoa River during heavy rains in early March. He believes the ponds contain a buildup of pollutants that get flushed out during floods, despite containment measures put in place by the company. Smitty's acknowledges that the heavy rains overwhelmed their control systems, leading to some water overtopping the dams, but they maintain that the booms remained in place and the system returned to normal as water levels receded.

• In early March 2026, the Roseland area experienced heavy rainfall.
• Since the August 2025 explosion and fire at Smitty's Supply, the resident has been monitoring the site with his drone.

What’s next

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality says it is conducting weekly site visits to monitor the conditions at Smitty's Supply and ensure previously implemented control measures remain in place.