Air quality regulators act on Boyle Heights odor complaints, imposing new requirements on warehouse owner Lineage
After two days of hearing from Boyle Heights residents and Los Angeles city officials, the South Coast Air Quality Management District approved an order of abatement that would increase the potential fines levied against Lineage Logistics as the cleanup process following a large fire in June continues.
During Thursday's meeting, AQMD officials approved the order, which allows them to fine Lineage up to $70,000 per violation related to the putrid odor coming from the rotting food inside their Boyle Heights cold storage facility.
Lineage officials testified during the meeting, agreeing that the company will now have two weeks to complete its cleanup process. They also noted that what remains of the once-500,000-square-foot warehouse will be fully sanitized by the end of the following week.
"Lineage is currently spending well over a million dollars per day to ensure that we're moving as ... quickly as possible," said Dominic DiCarlo, the Vice President of Global Safety and Compliance for Lineage.
As of Thursday, Lineage says that they believe 80% of the cleanup has been completed, and that they hope to have every cleared by the end of next week.
If they do not meet these guidelines, of which there are 90 conditions, the AQMD said they'll be hit with the new violations and face the maximum fines. Among the conditions that need to be met, AQMD officials said that Lineage must "strictly adhere" to them, as they contain, reduce, and eliminate odorous emissions through mandatory water removal, waste removal, neutralization of odors, air pollution control, enclosing the building to contain the smell and developing a communication plan so the community can stay informed.
Additionally, Lineage is now responsible for creating signage and information in English and Spanish and the continued monitoring for Volatile Organic Compounds, ammonia, formaldehyde, PM2.5 and toxic air contaminants. Those guidelines were instituted due to the public comments that AQMD officials heard during the two-day meeting.
While the cleanup continues, Lineage said that the warehouse would be wrapped in plastic wrap and hooked up to nine filters, each of which would pump 40,000 pounds of carbon into the building. A fan and vacuum pass the air from the filters over the warehouse and into the environment, but the suction inside creates a negative pressure that doesn't allow air to escape except through the filters.
While that process is supposed to limit the odor of the food from extending into the community, residents say it hasn't done enough. Since July 12, AQMD reported that they have received more than 4,200 complaints from residents.
"For weeks, South Coast AQMD provided technical guidance to help Lineage reduce odors. While Lineage implemented some controls, community impacts remained significant," said AQMD officials in a news release. "On July 17, South Coast AQMD issued a Demand Letter requiring over two dozen additional odor mitigation measures."
So far, Lineage Logistics has been issued 25 notices of violation for the smell, according to the news release. Thursday's decision allows them to now fine the company as well if they continue to violate odor nuisance rules.
"In addition to the notices of violation that have been issued for odor nuisance, which are continuing, if there are any violations of the hearing board order, that will be a notice of violation and subject to penalties," said Josephine Lee, an attorney for AQMD. "Certainly, if there's ongoing noncompliance, that is subject to heightened penalties, and that is authorized under state law."
Once the meeting ended, some Boyle Heights residents in the crowd took the opportunity to voice their outrage towards Lineage officials who were in attendance.
Lineage has also been cited by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for rodent and pest control violations, which became an issue in the early days of the cleanup as they were attracted by the spoiled food.
