Boyle Heights warehouse fire town hall meeting takes place Thursday night
Residents and community members affected by the Boyle Heights warehouse fire, which erupted three weeks ago, will have a chance to share their concerns and frustrations with elected officials, environmental representatives, and Lineage representatives at a town hall meeting on Thursday night.
Smoke and potential contaminants had neighboring communities concerned as crews battled flames atop and within the solar-paneled warehouse for a little over one week. Once the fire and smoldering hot spots were out, a new set of problems emerged.
Previously frozen food, 85 million pounds of it, began rotting, and a putrid smell, along with rodents and pests, added another layer of problems.
"Go into your garbage, put your head in your garbage can, smell it for 24/7 days a week and you tell me how you feel about that," Antonia Montes, community activist, said.
On June 29, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an Emergency Executive Order, setting a 45-day cleanup timeline for Lineage.
Last night, Lineage wrote on Instagram, "We know this situation has been difficult for the surrounding community, and we're committed to providing daily updates about our progress. A 45-day goal for cleanup has been set, and we are committed to meeting it."
The mayor's office provided updates on the situation yesterday, detailing Lineage's progress with waste removal, odor control, rodent abatement, and more.
To start, "Lineage is engaged in demolition of the warehouse and debris removal along Indiana Street," the mayor's office wrote in a news release.
Since June 28, over 120 truckloads of debris have been removed, and over 80 loads of food waste have been hauled off.
For odor control, Lineage's contractors are applying Micro-Blaze, a brand of non-toxic microbial formulations and biological activators used primarily for environmental bioremediation, spill control, and organic waste degradation.
Misters have been installed inside the warehouse and on the exterior of the building along Indiana Street to deodorize the food waste until it is moved off-site, according to the mayor's office. An additional layer of plastic sheeting is being installed on the side of the building to minimize odor impacts on the surrounding community.
Lineage has contracted with various pest control companies to address rodents, flies, gnats, and mosquitoes. In total, 250 bait stations have been installed in the public right-of-way outside the warehouse and in the immediate neighborhood.
South Coast AQMD is continuing air monitoring, and real-time air monitoring is also being conducted by an outside company contracted by Lineage, testing for toxic hazards such as Carbon monoxide, Ammonia, Nitrogen dioxide, and more.
According to the mayor's office, in partnership with the California Community Foundation, more than $1.5 million has been raised and granted to over 20 community partners to support immediate relief for impacted residents and businesses.
With these funds, community organizations are providing services including medical assistance, food assistance, health resources, financial assistance, and more. More information can be found at: emergency.lacity.gov/BoyleHeightsRecovery.
Space is limited for Thursday's 6 p.m. town hall meeting at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School, 725 S Indiana St, Los Angeles. Residents must register at bit.ly/BoyleHeightsTownhall.
