Residents of Boyle Heights in Los Angeles continue to endure the stench of rotting food and pest infestations nearly two months after a massive warehouse fire, as city officials and Lineage Logistics clash over cleanup deadlines.
The June 17 fire at the Lineage Logistics cold-storage facility triggered a crisis that has left the community dealing with foul odors, swarms of flies, and rodent problems. Newly obtained images from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health show debris, food, sludge, and standing water still inside the building.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that Lineage Logistics had failed to meet a 45-day deadline to remove more than 85 million pounds of spoiled food from the facility. However, Lineage disputes this timeline.
“The 45-day cleanup clock began on July 7, the day the Los Angeles Fire Department ended its 24-hour fire watch at the site after persistent flare-ups made it unsafe to enter,” a Lineage spokesperson said. The company maintains it is on day 37 of the cleanup and has until Wednesday (August 20) to complete bulk food removal.
City officials, however, say the 45-day period expired Friday at 5 p.m. Bass called the missed deadline “unacceptable” and announced she is “calling on our city lawyers to pursue civil litigation and all legal options for cost recovery and penalties and to put a lien on the property.”
An LA County Department of Public Health survey released July 27 found that 84 percent of 240 responding households in the area reported an increase in pests. Among respondents, 76 percent reported more flies, 40 percent reported more mosquitoes, and 35 percent reported more rodents.
Resident Rosa Samaniego described the impact on her daily life. “Right now, we’re throwing out bedding, the beds, the clothes,” Samaniego said, according to KNBC “It’s putrid, it’s pungent. People don’t understand that we’re breathing this and it’s hurting us.”
The South Coast Air Quality Management District received more than 4,200 odor complaints about the warehouse between July 12 and August 5 and issued 25 notices of violations to Lineage. The LA County Public Health Department has cited the company for unsanitary conditions and pest-control violations.
As of Saturday (August 16), Lineage said it had removed 94 percent of the bulk food waste from the building. The company said it is expecting more than 100,000 hours of work, an average of 400 workers a day, and more than 4,000 truckloads of debris removed.
“The progress made in 35 days of cleanup is nothing short of extraordinary,” Jeff Rivera, Lineage’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. Lineage said it anticipates spending $100 million on cleanup efforts.
The company has also distributed more than 1,150 fly traps throughout the community to reduce pest problems. Separately, LA County Public Health said it distributed nearly 3,900 N95 masks to residents.
In response to community concerns, Bass took executive action to halt processing of Lineage’s July 27 application for permits to rebuild the warehouse exactly as it was, calling it “a slap in the face” to the community.
The city has also set deadlines for structural and construction debris removal within 90 days and final environmental clearance within 120 days. Once the food waste is completely removed, Lineage must conduct thorough power-washing and disinfection within seven days, according to an order approved by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Lineage has said it believes the fire started when subcontractors were working on solar panels installed on the roof by a third-party company.
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