Toxic Explosion At Oil Plant Leaves Black Louisiana Town Reeling With Fear And Uncertainty

In Roseland, LA — a predominantly Black town a little more than 60 miles northeast of Baton Rouge — residents are reeling from the aftermath of a massive explosion.

On Aug. 22, 2025, a blast at Smitty’s Supply, a major lubricant manufacturer, sent oily droplets raining down as far as 20 miles away, covering homes, cars and the community in a tar-like film, according to Capital B News.

When more than 80% of the town’s residents, who were forced to evacuate, returned home on Aug. 26, the air remained thick with the stench of petroleum, the outlet reports.

“In the long run, this is gonna mess up for a long time, and they don’t care because of who lives here,” said Roseland resident and previous Smitty’s Supply employee, Tyreik Taylor, pointing to racial discrimination.

“We don’t know what’s in this air right now or what might be in our water and bodies,” Taylor continued.

Taylor, 26, and Tevin Moore, 33, are among hundreds of employees laid off from Smitty’s since the explosion, per Capital B News. They both received offers for about $250 in monthly severance.

“I’m probably already sick with something,” Moore said, Capital B News reported.

Environmental Impact

On Aug. 29, the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed the presence of toxic substances in the soot left behind from the explosion, Capital B News reports. While tests revealed hazardous materials in water and soil, including arsenic, lead and cancer-linked nitrobenzene, the agency maintains there’s no threat to human health.

Since 2020, Smitty’s has been cited for five serious Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations, including four grease fires and one fatal incident involving a worker struck by a trailer, per Capital B News.

The company has also faced repeated Clean Water Act violations in every reporting period since 2022, discharging pollutants like benzene, toluene, oil, grease and fecal bacteria — some at up to 20 times the legal limit, per Capital B News.

Health Concerns After The Explosion

Roseland residents are more exposed to oil and gas facilities than 90% of Americans, and suffer higher rates of respiratory illness, per Capital B News.

Health officials like Mount Sinai warn that even a day of breathing oil fumes can cause severe lung irritation, skin peeling, neurological issues and long-term effects like cancer and organ damage.

Loosened Environmental Regulations

The explosion marks the latest in a string of incidents amid ongoing rollbacks of regulations that make it harder to hold industrial companies accountable, according to Capital B. Last year, a state court blocked the federal government from using the Civil Rights Act to halt the expansion of toxic facilities in Black communities, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.

Since then, the Trump administration has fast-tracked polluting plant permits with minimal oversight, according to the Guardian. Key parts of the Clean Air Act have also been weakened, allowing facilities to release more chemicals, as reported by the Associated Press.

Simultaneously, efforts are underway to repeal a Biden-era rule designed to help communities prepare for industrial disasters, which disproportionately impact Black communities living near these sites, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.

Still, Governor Jeff Landry said the explosion posed no “immediate danger to wildlife or human health,” Capital B News noted.

Impact On The Roseland Community

On Aug. 28, Smitty’s issued a statement on Facebook apologizing and vowing to rebuild. An investigation into the explosion is ongoing.

Over half of Roseland’s residents — and 87% of its children — live in poverty, per Census Reporter data. With about 450 workers, Smitty’s was a crucial employer in the town of 1,200, and many fear financial survival will become even harder, per Capital B News.

The outlet reports that, at a recent community meeting, where neither a Smitty’s representative nor its insurance company was present, attendees were urged to seek legal counsel; six lawsuits have already been filed.

As of Thursday, Aug. 28, no deaths had been reported from the explosion. However, residents shared with Capital B News that their environmental anxiety has already spiked.

Just 1.5 miles from the plant, 65-year-old Patricia Thomas lives on $450 a month from Social Security. Forced into early retirement for health reasons, she’s afraid to touch the black substance coating her home, which has kept her great-grandchild from visiting.

“They’re acting like no one is responsible, but I know for sure who isn’t responsible — we didn’t do it. Who is paying for it?” Thomas told Capital B News.