DIAMOND BAR (CNS) – In nearly seven hours of testimony Wednesday, Boyle Heights residents and elected officials urged regulators to approve an abatement order against Lineage Logistics at the company’s burned-out cold storage warehouse.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District board will convene again Thursday for day two of its hearing to decide whether to require additional odor-control measures during the ongoing clean-up of the site at 1400 S. Los Palos St., where a fire broke out June 17.
If approved, the board would order Lineage to take additional steps to reduce odors, which would consist of power washing and disinfecting concrete floors after food waste and other hazardous materials are removed from the warehouse’s eastern freezer.
On Wednesday, the board heard from residents impacted by the emergency. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the board via teleconference, and City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado gave remarks in person.
Both elected officials urged the board to approve the abatement order, insisting that measures taken by Lineage have not gone far enough.
“Let’s be clear. What the residents of Boyle Heights are facing is not just a nuisance, it is a public health crisis that requires urgent and actionable measures,” Bass said.
Bass called on Lineage to bolster its communication with residents by providing written materials and hold weekly briefings in Spanish and English, and for the company to install permanent odor monitoring stations and establish a dedicated fund for the community. Lastly, she hoped the company would provide relocation assistance for residents until the issue is fully resolved.
“Residents should not have to file complaint after complaint to force a multibillion-dollar corporation to contain the harm that it created,” Jurado said in her remarks. “Lineage says conditions will improve as the cleanup progresses. But a promise that it will get better is not an abatement plan, and this community has already waited too long for relief.”
The June fire sent thick smoke into the air and prompted officials to warn nearby residents to remain indoors. The city, county and state issued local emergency declarations in the days that followed. It took more than a week to fully douse the fire.
Since then, the SCAQMD has received nearly 4,000 odor complaints originating from the burned-out warehouse.
Lineage Logistics said in a statement Tuesday it “has consistently and transparently reported on its progress through the Boyle Heights Unified Recovery Command” and has “prioritized transparency and open communication with the public, providing frequent, bilingual updates via dedicated website and social media channels as well as direct channels like email, a bilingual phone line, and online request form for community members to ask questions and share concerns.”
The company added it expects to spend between $80 million and $100 million on cleanup efforts. Company officials announced Monday that approximately 80% of the food waste has been removed from the warehouse, with a goal of completing bulk food waste removal from the site next week. Cleanup began July 7.
Work was continuing around the clock to accelerate the cleanup, reduce odors, protect public health and provide direct assistance to impacted residents, according to the company.
On Wednesday, resident after resident criticized Lineage for disrupting their lives. Many speakers shared the same concerns about how the warehouse fire and smoke, and ongoing impacts from rotting food, have harmed their health.
Parents raised concerns over their children and elderly relatives. Residents expressed their frustration over what they say is a lack of support and accountability. Several speakers also alleged Lineage has not been forthcoming about what exactly burned in the warehouse with residents fearing that chemicals were among materials that fueled the flames and spread through the air.
Residents explained that support offered by the company was little to no use amid heavy smoke and ash during the fire emergency, and strong putrid odors of rotting food that were only strengthened by rising temperatures.
Wendy Ramirez, who lives down the street from the warehouse, said she made the decision to evacuate and stay at a motel for some time.
“As of now, I don’t feel comfortable returning home. There’s still too much going on there. They’re still doing cleanup. The flies are insane. They’re scary. They jump on you as soon as you get off out of your care,” Ramirez said.
“I have to have everything sealed in my house. I can’t open my door. I can’t open my windows. The flow of the air can no longer come in.”
Bass wrote company shareholders Tuesday, accusing Lineage of falling short in its response to the fire.
“Multiple government agencies have served Lineage notices of violation relating to public health and safety,” Bass wrote in her letter. “Residents, public agencies and elected officials have repeatedly sought timely information regarding the cleanup, remediation, environmental monitoring, and recovery.
“Too often, those requests have been met with delayed communication, limited transparency, and insufficient public engagement. Rather than demonstrating urgency equal to the scale of the disaster, the company’s response has too often been a combination of delayed and inaccurate information that has kept government officials and the public in the dark as to Lineage’s progress in removing the millions of pounds of rotting food and eliminating the putrid odors and fly infestation suffocating the Boyle Heights community,” the letter continued.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health investigators reviewed the warehouse on July 15. The official inspection report identified violations that remained outstanding after re-inspection. Inspectors found an accumulation of decaying organic waste, wastewater and food residue in two different freezers, as well as live and dead flies in various locations of the warehouse.
They also found 20 or more fly larvae on the exterior plastic sheeting along the northern perimeter wall, on the nearby sidewalk and on the street along Union Pacific Avenue.
The county has ordered Lineage Logistics to do the following:
— Remove and properly dispose of all fire-damaged food, putrescible waste, and other decomposing organic materials from the property in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations;
— Eliminate all actual and potential fly breeding sources, including accumulations of organic debris, contaminated liquids, and any other materials capable of supporting fly development;
— Thoroughly clean and sanitize all affected areas to remove residues that may attract or support flies and other vectors;
— Implement effective vector control measures, including treatment of active breeding areas by a licensed pest control operator; and
— Take all necessary measures to prevent flies originating from the property from migrating to neighboring properties or creating an ongoing public health nuisance.
Public health officials said they were monitoring corrective actions and conducting regular inspections to verify compliance. The department also issued a directive to Lineage on June 29 that requires mitigation efforts in the impacted communities related to the facility fire and subsequent decaying food waste.
The department announced last week it would increase financial penalties from $500 for each citation to up to $2,000 per day for ongoing public health violations at the site.
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