Lineage said on Friday that it has removed 104% of the food waste from its burned warehouse in Boyle Heights, yet the company also confirmed some food remains inside as it enters the final cleanup phase.
The conflicting updates have left many residents wondering what happens next.
The company faces another deadline on Aug. 27 to thoroughly disinfect and deodorize the remaining freezer. The South Coast Air Quality Management District says it expects the odors to continue until that work is complete. With food still in the warehouse, Lineage could face penalties from air regulators and possible civil litigation from the city.
Here’s what to expect during the next week of cleanup:
What’s been cleaned up so far and what’s left?
On Friday, Lineage said there was still food waste inside Freezer 1, the freezer that was not damaged in the fire, meaning the company missed South Coast AQMD’s Aug. 20 deadline to remove all the bulk food waste. Freezer 2 was damaged in the fire and has since been cleared; the building has been demolished.
The update came a day after Lineage told residents that it had removed 101.8% of the bulk food waste from Freezer 1. The calculation is based on the total weight of food waste it’s removed so far, not solely by the amount of food inside.
Lineage originally estimated there were 88 million pounds of food. The company said it has now removed more than that amount because the total also includes debris, water and additional material.
Lineage considers the bulk food waste removal as Phase 1 of the cleanup and said it expects to complete the work in the coming days.
Phase 2 includes removing debris and power washing, disinfecting, detailing and deodorizing the remaining structure. South Coast AQMD has ordered this work to be completed by Aug. 27.
Will Lineage face consequences?
LA Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday that she has called on city lawyers to pursue litigation, a lien, and all legal options for cost recovery and penalties.
Because Lineage missed the Aug. 20 deadline, South Coast AQMD is expected to call for another hearing to determine whether penalties will be imposed. Lineage could also face penalties for missing the Aug. 27 cleanup deadline.
The deadlines were first established after a public hearing on Aug. 5 and 6, when air regulators unanimously approved an abatement order to enforce stricter cleanup requirements for Lineage after receiving thousands of air quality complaints since early July.
At the hearing, Lineage officials clearly acknowledged the legally enforceable deadlines.
When will the smell go away?
Lineage told Boyle Heights Beat that it expects conditions to improve as more food waste is removed because the waste is the primary source of odor.
South Coast AQMD also expects the smell to go away as the remaining food is removed and the inside of the building is cleaned and disinfected.
“Although there may still be wastewater in the storage tank onsite from the cleaning activities,” the district said, “once the disinfection process is complete, there should no longer be rotting food odor sources at the site.”
The district said negative air pressure must be maintained in the building during disinfection to prevent air from escaping. Air pollution control equipment must continue to be used while the remaining cleanup work is done.
If South Coast AQMD continues to receive ongoing complaints from the community and verifies that Lineage is the source of odors, they said they will investigate.
What have elected officials said?
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday that city personnel would inspect the site again on Friday after finding food waste inside the day before.
“We cannot take them at their word,” Bass said. “Lineage missed the August 14 deadline, they moved the goal post, and then they failed again,” Bass said.
In addition to pursuing legal action, Bass said neither Lineage nor the building owner, Chill Build, should be allowed to rebuild in the community. For weeks, community groups have been calling for Lineage to leave the community permanently. Those calls intensified when the company submitted permits to rebuild last month. Bass also introduced an executive order last month to pause the Lineage warehouse rebuild.
On Wednesday, the city council voted to extend Bass’ declaration of a local emergency for another 60 days, allowing the city to continue coordinating resource and recovery efforts.
District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado told Boyle Heights Beat in a statement Thursday that Lineage has not communicated when the cleanup will be complete.
“I am deeply disappointed and angry,” Jurado said. “For nearly two months, families in Boyle Heights have lived with unbearable odors, flies and pests, truck traffic, uncertainty, and disruption to their homes, businesses, and daily lives. They were told there was a deadline, and they had every right to expect that deadline to mean something.”
On Aug. 4, Jurado introduced seven motions to provide immediate and long-term relief for residents affected by the warehouse fire, including calling for funds for small businesses and residents and penalties for corporate negligence. The status of the motions can be tracked on Jurado’s CD14 council website here.
LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis has not responded to multiple requests for comment on Lineage’s cleanup delays.
The LA Local’s enterprise reporter Christopher Damien contributed to this story
