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Air quality officials cite Lineage for ‘rotten’ odors near Boyle Heights warehouse
As crews clean up tons of spoiling food at Lineage's warehouse in Boyle Heights, residents have complained about persistent smells.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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South Coast AQMD issues notice to Lineage over foul smells
If a settlement isn't reached, Lineage could face penalties or even a lawsuit owing to odors that air quality officials traced to its warehouse in Boyle Heights.
Update
On Tuesday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a second notice of violation, which was nearly identical to the first, to Lineage Logistics in Boyle Heights.
Topline:
Air quality officials have cited Lineage LLC for “rotten, sour, garbage-type odors” emanating from its Boyle Heights warehouse after getting more than 40 complaints Sunday.
About the complaints: In a statement, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said inspectors confirmed the smells with local community members and traced the source to cleanup activities at the warehouse. Officials estimate that 85 million pounds of food in the cold storage facility have spoiled after a fire last month.
The notice of violation: South Coast AQMD cited Lineage for violating California state code that prohibits “emissions that cause injury, nuisance, or annoyance to a significant number of people or the public.”
About the smell: I smelled the odor for myself from hundreds of feet away while driving on the 5 Freeway near Boyle Heights at about 11 p.m. Sunday. Though I had my car windows up, it quickly registered to me as the smell of decomposing animal matter. The strong odor persisted for about a minute until I left the Boyle Heights area.
What happens next: If a settlement with Lineage isn’t reached, the company could face civil penalties and even a lawsuit, according to South Coast AQMD’s statement.
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What residents have been saying: At a contentious town hall meeting last Thursday, Boyle Heights and East L.A. residents slammed Los Angeles city officials and Lineage for their handling of the fire and the cleanup. Locals challenged L.A. Mayor Karen Bass to spend the night near the warehouse to experience the odor. She committed to spending more time in Boyle Heights, including at night.
Lineage’s response: An email to the only media contact listed on Lineage’s website was flagged as “undeliverable.” LAist has reached out directly to a Lineage press representative for comment.
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