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Judge Signals He May Seal Photos Of Troubled Rendering Company From Public View
Photographs taken by AQMD Inspector Dillon Harris during multiple inspections of Baker's rendering facility in Vernon in 2022. Baker later filed an emergency motion asking a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to restrain the AQMD from publishing the inspector's photos and to take them down from AQMD hearing board videos on YouTube. The judge denied it in October 2022.
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Dillon Harris
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Screen shots from YouTube video of Sept. 27, 2022 AQMD Commission meeting
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Photographs taken by AQMD Inspector Dillon Harris during multiple inspections of Baker's rendering facility in Vernon in 2022. Baker later filed an emergency motion asking a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to restrain the AQMD from publishing the inspector's photos and to take them down from AQMD hearing board videos on YouTube. The judge denied it in October 2022.
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Dillon Harris
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Screen shots from YouTube video of Sept. 27, 2022 AQMD Commission meeting
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Inspection photo labeled "Open air pit 8/16/22"
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AQMD via YouTube hearing video
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Photo labeled "Uncovered or leaking conveyers 8/16/22"
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AQMD via YouTube hearing video
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Inspection photo labeled "Leaking Presses"
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AQMD via YouTube hearing video
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An L.A. Superior Court judge said Friday that he would tentatively grant Baker Commodities, Inc.’s request to seal court records that include about 80 photos that show inside its Vernon facility. The photos were taken by an air quality inspector in 2022.
Baker is a rendering company located about five miles southeast of Downtown L.A. The company recycles animal parts and sometimes entire carcasses.
The photos in question appeared in videos posted online by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). Those videos show rib cages among a heap of animal parts , as well as raw animal material leaking out of the rendering equipment.
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Baker has been in a legal fight with AQMD since last year, and operating in a limited capacity, following a modified shut down order put in place by AQMD’s hearing board in June.
Baker Commodities, Inc. in Vernon.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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Baker’s attorneys are seeking to keep the inspector’s photos from public view, saying the images contain trade secrets and that they were obtained without permission. AQMD disputes this, maintaining that the inspector got permission from Baker employees. Attorneys for Baker are also arguing that the facility should be allowed to fully reopen.
In court documents, the inspector who took the photos described Baker’s Vernon facility as smelling “intensely of rotting animals.”
Full series
- Investigation: Inside The Fight Over A Facility That Recycles Dead Animals In Southeast LA
- How and why we did it: The 2 Bus Rides That Spurred LAist’s Deep Dive Into Odor Issues In Vernon
- Compliance issues: LAist review finds companies violated sign rules
- The politics at play: A look back at Vernon's troubled history
- Resources: Smell Something Bad In Your Neighborhood? Here’s Where To Get Help
- Solutions: How decades of environmental woes have hurt, and mobilized, Southeast LA
Baker has declined multiple interview requests from LAist in the past few weeks and did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
In an email, AQMD spokesperson Nahal Mogharabi said the agency had nothing to add by deadline.
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A final decision from L.A. County Superior Court judge Mitchell L. Beckloff is expected in the coming weeks — the next hearing is set for Oct. 27. If the judge rules in Baker’s favor, the photos in the court record will be sealed from the public.
Baker was the focus of a recent LAist investigation that found widespread community complaints about odors. LAist first published some of the photos that show inside the company’s facility last week.
How To Report Odors
Have you noticed bad smells in your neighborhood?
If you live within the South Coast Air Quality District’s boundaries (they cover most of L.A. County —
you can look up details here
), here’s where to file an odor report:
- Call 1-800-CUT-SMOG (1-800-288-7664)
- Visit AQMD’s online complaint system
- Download and use AQMD’s phone app
- Read our full guide for more tips.
Baker is among four rendering companies and at least 40 meat processors that LAist identified in or very near the city of Vernon. Rendering companies play an important role in reducing food waste, but they also can produce odorous chemicals that have the potential to cause increased cancer risk and other health issues, according to public health researchers interviewed by LAist .
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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