Air regulators to hold public hearing on Lineage fire odors. Here’s how to participate

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District will hold a public hearing Wednesday to consider ordering additional measures to reduce odors during cleanup of the Lineage warehouse fire site. 

The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. and will include public testimony. Community members can participate in person, by Zoom or by phone.

Since July 12, the South Coast AQMD has received nearly 4,000 odor complaints that inspectors have traced back to the cold-storage warehouse, according to a petition for an abatement order filed against Lineage. If granted, the order would require the company to, among other things, power wash and disinfect concrete flooring once all solid waste is removed from the second freezer on the eastern half of the facility.

The hearing board will consider the petition at Wednesday’s meeting. 

Between July 12 and July 30, South Coast AQMD issued 19 violations to Lineage, alleging the company created a public nuisance by releasing odors that affected nearby residents, according to the notices of violation. The agency alleges that Lineage violated South Coast AQMD Rule 402 and California Health and Safety Code section 41700, which can lead to civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $75,000 per day.

Lineage has said it is working to mitigate the rancid smells coming from its warehouse as it hauls away dozens of truckloads of waste.

“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,” according to Lineage’s website. “It will get better as the cleanup progresses.”

At a July 9 forum, Lineage Chief Operations Officer Jeff Rivera said the company was aiming to complete the cleanup within 45 days, a deadline set by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. 

How to attend the hearing

In person: South Coast AQMD Headquarters, Hearing Board Room, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Zoom: https://aqmd.zoomgov.com/j/1617214661 (Meeting ID:  161 721 4661)

Telephone: 1-669-216-1590  (Meeting ID:  161 721 4661)

Webcast: http://www.aqmd.gov/home/news-events/webcast

Instructions on how to participate via video or teleconference can be found here. The agenda can be found here.

How to report odors

The South Coast AQMD urges residents to call 1-800-CUTSMOG if they’re dealing with odors and to file a complaint every day so the agency can track the severity.

Anyone in the area can report odors, the agency said.

After receiving complaints, an inspector is sent to confirm the odor. People can call every day that they’re experiencing odors, and a public nuisance citation is issued after inspectors can confirm six complaints. People filing a complaint are required to provide their first and last name, location address and contact information in order to confirm the smell.