"A month after a sprawling oil and lubricant facility exploded and rained down slick black droplets all over this predominantly Black town in rural Louisiana, the trees are sick. Federal officials said there's no threat to human health; however, independent tests recently revealed that inside the goop that coats yards, gardens, and doorsteps is a gallery of 29 chemicals and heavy metals."
"Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, which took over the cleanup process in August, advised residents to remove the black sticky residue themselves. The EPA did not test soil on local properties for contamination. A spokesperson told Capital B that testing was not warranted because they did not believe there was a heavy concentration of toxic chemicals. But one month later, an independent tester found toxins, including lead, in soil samples as far as six miles from the blast."
On August 22, 2025, a Smitty's Supply oil and lubricant facility exploded near Roseland, Louisiana, spreading slick black droplets across the predominantly Black town. Trees and nearby forests are browning, with satellite data showing over a 15% decline in greenness. The EPA took over cleanup and advised residents to remove the black residue themselves while declining to test private soils, stating concentrations did not warrant testing. Independent testing detected a mix of 29 chemicals and heavy metals, including lead, in soils up to six miles away. Dozens of residents reported respiratory and skin problems while conducting cleanup.
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