"For Black Louisianans, health fears mount as federal crews face delays, threats, and funding shortfalls at the oil disaster site."
"On the banks of the Tangipahoa River in South Louisiana, thick oil slicks and chemical odors ripple across the water. Five weeks after an oil and lubricant facility exploded, sending oily soot as far as 40 miles away, Black residents still complain that the chemical smell is so strong that it wakes them up in the middle of the night.
Over the past week, federal cleanup crews and state regulators have scrambled to deploy booms and barriers along the river to contain the oily goop. The hive of urgent activity was partially inspired by Gov. Jeff Landry’s public scolding of the federal Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 28. The Republican leader called out the EPA for slow progress and demanded faster action. For over a month, residents in Roseland, Louisiana, have made the same calls with little to show for it.
Now, the EPA and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality say they’re increasing their response to remove millions of gallons of contaminated water and restore the land for nearby residents.
But state documents show that the agency’s response, which has left some residents living with a thick, black, chemical-ladden substance on their homes, plants, and local waters, has faced both internal and external threats. For at least one day in September, cleanup crews did not work because of “funding issues.” And on Sept. 22, work was suspended after workers said a man “in possession of a rifle fired shots in the direction of response personnel.”"
Adam Mahoney reports for Capital B October 1, 2025.
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