California air quality regulator issues violation to Boyle Heights warehouse company after fire prompts odor complaints
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a Notice of Violation to Lineage Logistics in Boyle Heights after community members reported rotten, sour, and garbage-like odors in the area following the warehouse fire.
The agency said it received more than 40 public complaints on July 12 about foul smells. Inspectors responded to the site and traced the odors back to clean-up operations at the fire-destroyed warehouse. As a result, an NOV was issued yesterday for violations of the public nuisance rules.
"South Coast AQMD Rule 402 and California Health & Safety Code Section 41700 prohibit emissions that cause injury, nuisance, or annoyance to a significant number of people or the public," the agency wrote in a news release.
Aside from the official reports submitted, community members made it loud and clear at a July 9 town hall meeting that the neighborhood stench from the 85 million pounds of rotting food is intolerable.
"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 earlier.
Los Angeles city leaders and representatives from Lineage heard the complaints from irate residents at the meeting.
"I understand the uncertainty, the frustration, and the disruption that it's caused," Lineage COO Jeff Rivera said at the town hall meeting. "I am sorry. I am sorry for the disruption that this has caused."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an Emergency Executive Order on June 29, setting a 45-day cleanup timeline for Lineage.
Lineage responded on Instagram, "A 45-day goal for cleanup has been set, and we are committed to meeting it."
The company also said it has odor, rodent, and pest control measures in place and is hauling out truckloads of rotted waste daily. To date, Lineage reports that 356 tons of food waste have been removed.
"We are using a variety of approaches to minimize the effects, including: physical barriers (StormWrapper), applying a bleach solution in and around the building, running mist deodorizing systems around the site, and applying deodorizers directly to the debris to reduce odors as much as possible during that period. It will get better as the cleanup progresses," Lineage wrote on its website.
"NOVs can result in civil penalties. If no settlement is reached, a civil lawsuit may be filed in superior court," South Coast AQMD wrote in a news release.
Members of the public can report odors, dust, smoke, or other air quality issues by calling 1-800-CUT-SMOG or by filing an online complaint at www.aqmd.gov/complaints.
Lineage is providing information on cleanup progress, updates, and community resources at onelineage.com/lospalos.
