Overview
- A June 17 fire at a Lineage cold-storage warehouse left roughly 85 million pounds of frozen food to rot and produce a persistent rotten-food smell in Boyle Heights.
- This week regulators logged roughly 720 to 900 resident complaints and issued five to six notices of violation charging public nuisance under Rule 402 and state law.
- South Coast AQMD listed over two dozen required measures such as treating waste before loading, covering and deodorizing trucks, daily street washing, and posting complaint signs.
- Lineage says it is wrapping the building, using misting systems, and has removed about 1.62 million pounds as of July 15 while providing air purifiers, vouchers, and other relief to neighbors.
- Officials warn violations can bring civil penalties of $1,000 to $75,000 per day and the episode raises longer-term questions about industrial siting, permitting and the logistics of removing tens of millions of pounds of spoiled food.