Burnt-Out Warehouse Operator Hit With Violations As It Deals With 85 Million Pounds Of Rotting Food

LOS ANGELES, CA — As the herculean task of cleaning up tons of rotting food from a cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights continued Friday after the eight-day fire broke out a month ago, air quality violations were piling up for the facility's operator, Lineage Logistics.

Neighbors have been dealing with what they have described as a highly objectionable stench, even as rats and flies treat the gutted warehouse like a smorgasbord.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, called on Lineage to provide a public corrective-action report by Monday, detailing how the company will address the odor and pest conditions affecting the community.

She said that more than 700 resident complaints and multiple South Coast Air Quality Management District violations related to odors and public- nuisance conditions made it clear that current odor-control measures are not adequate to protect Boyle Heights.

A representative for SCAQMD confirmed that as of 8 p.m. Thursday, the agency had recorded about 720 complaints regarding odors and conditions related to the warehouse cleanup. That figure is expected to be updated Friday evening.

"The current 45-day cleanup directive cannot mean 45 days of residents being unable to breathe comfortably, open their windows or allow their children to play outside. Lineage must complete the food-waste removal safely and on time, but the company also has a responsibility to protect the surrounding community every day while that work is underway," Jurado said in a statement.

The councilwoman noted the corrective action plan would need to include written documentation of the company's odor- and pest-control measures, and a way to determine whether those measures were working. She also requested information about the number of truckloads being removed and the amount of the facility being dismantled.

"I met with Lineage today, and I expect the company to provide an updated accounting by Monday, July 20, of its cleanup progress, the actions it is taking in response to the South Coast AQMD violations and the additional steps it will implement to address the ongoing air-quality and odor concerns affecting the community," Jurado said in her statement.

Earlier this week, SCAQMD noted that it had received more than 40 complaints from residents near the warehouse on Sunday due to odors emanating from the site — where more than 85 million pounds of rotting food had been stored and is in the process of being removed. As a result, the agency issued a notice of violation to Lineage due to the smell.

Agency officials said state health and safety rules "prohibit emissions that cause injury, nuisance or annoyance to a significant number of people or the public."

The notice of violation can lead to civil penalties, or potentially a lawsuit if no settlement is reached.

According to the SCAQMD, more than 40 complaints were received again on Monday due to odors from the warehouse, with people again reporting "rotten, sour, garbage-type odors." After confirming the smell was coming from the warehouse, the agency issued a second notice of violation to Lineage.

On Friday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis — whose First District includes the warehouse — said more than 700 homes near the facility were canvassed this week to "ensure the county has a complete understanding of the impacts families are experiencing."

"I directed the Department of Public Health to deploy teams to canvass the neighborhoods most affected by the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire, in addition to the continued outreach my staff has been conducting," according to a statement from the supervisor. "On July 15 and 16, teams visited more than 700 homes closest to the incident site to document residents' concerns, answer questions, connect families with available resources and gather the information needed to inform public health decisions, including whether additional protective measures are warranted."

According to Solis, most residents said they want to stay in their homes during the cleanup.

"Residents emphasized the need for odor elimination, site cleanup and assurance that it is safe to remain in their community," Solis said. "For those who requested temporary relocation assistance, connections were provided to free emergency housing resources through Airbnb.org and 211 LA. Residents also requested additional air purifiers, which were made available during each visit by offering up to three units per household, as well as portable air conditioning units and assistance with increased electricity costs."

Solis noted that Lineage Logistics indicated that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power would assist Boyle Heights residents with electricity costs, "but no comparable assistance was secured for East Los Angeles."

For that reason, Solis said, she connected directly with Southern California Edison to ensure residents in the Union Pacific neighborhood of East LA have access to electric bill assistance.

Residents who wish to avail themselves of such help can call 1-800-250- 7339 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents and small businesses needing assistance can also call 211 or visit recovery.lacounty.gov/eastla for information about available resources and services.

Efforts to remove the food and other debris from the fire-damaged warehouse are continuing. The most recent figures from Lineage indicate that 356 tons of food waste have been removed from the building, with 835 tons of overall waste taken away. Lineage officials said they hope to complete debris removal from the site within 45 days, meeting a deadline imposed by Mayor Karen Bass.

The spoiled foodstuffs are being hauled to the Simi Valley Landfill in Ventura County, the El Sobrante landfill in Corona in Riverside County and Hazmat TSDF Inc., a hazardous waste materials facility in the San Bernardino County city of Rialto.

The Simi Valley facility is owned and operated by Waste Management Inc.

Residents have been complaining loudly about impacts from the fire, most notably citing issues such as noxious odors, vermin and flies.

Hundreds of mostly angry residents packed a community town hall meeting in Boyle Heights last week, lashing out at Lineage officials and elected leaders — including Bass — and demanding protection and compensation, including funding for temporary housing.

Lineage officials last week announced a series of community support efforts, specifically:

• Vouchers for short-term hotel and rental assistance for "residents who choose to temporarily relocate during the cleanup and remediation process";
• Delivery of more air purifiers, air conditions and masks to residents, with company officials saying they have already distributed more than 600 air purifiers and 2,000 masks as part of its earlier community donation;
• Provision of grocery vouchers redeemable at a Food4Less store on Olympic Boulevard;
• Cash assistance provided through pre-paid cards; and
• Support to assist residents with payments of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power utility bills.

The fire broke out June 17 at the warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St. and raged for eight days, sending a massive amount of smoke into the atmosphere and prompting warnings for nearby residents to stay inside.

The city, county and state all issued local emergency declarations in the days following the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Lineage officials have said they believe the fire started while a subcontractor working for Altus Power, which owns the solar array on top of the building, was conducting tests on the panels.

Altus Power has stated its first concern is for the community affected by the fire.

City News Service