Conditions Inside Smitty’s Supply: “Horror Show”

Federal regulators have released a detailed new look at conditions inside Smitty’s Supply Inc. in Roseland following the Aug. 22 explosion and fire. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, inspectors found that hazards were not limited to the blast area, as problems extended into other parts of the petroleum packaging facility as well. The EPA said the incident sent millions of gallons of hazardous materials onto neighboring properties and into waterways, including the Tangipahoa River.

The EPA’s findings come from an Oct. 7 inspection report that the agency says supports an administrative consent order requiring Smitty’s Supply to address alleged violations. In its public summary, the EPA estimated inspectors documented roughly 250 damaged containers, about 200 chemical spills, and more than 300 containers holding unlabeled or unidentified substances. The report describes containers ranging from large totes and 55-gallon drums to smaller buckets, with some allegedly corroded, bulging, crushed, leaking, or stored in ways that increased the risk of falling or spilling.

The report also references conditions that raised broader enforcement questions beyond routine civil compliance. The Louisiana Illuminator notes that two undamaged warehouses described in the report appear connected to a related environmental crimes investigation, and that EPA’s Criminal Investigative Division, assisted by the FBI, served a search warrant on November 18, 2026, temporarily pausing recovery work near two warehouses. Environmental attorney Clay Garside, who is representing the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, characterized the reported conditions as a “horror show,” while the company did not respond to a request for comment and has filed its own lawsuit against companies involved with the tanks that exploded.

For nearby residents, the update underscores the human toll that can follow an industrial disaster. The Louisiana Illuminator reported that one neighbor, Candy Cardwell, said she was packing to leave the area, describing health effects that made it hard to even go outside and saying she has been unable to sell her home. Source: Wesley Muller, “An inside look at what EPA inspectors found at Smitty’s Supply,” Louisiana Illuminator (Jan. 15, 2026): https://lailluminator.com/2026/01/15/inside-look-smittys-supply/