Students in Boyle Heights are set to return to campus for the new school year as cleanup continues at the site of a mid-June fire at a cold food storage warehouse in the community east of downtown Los Angeles.
The first day of school comes just two days before LA Mayor Karen Bass’ deadline for Lineage Logistics to clean up the mess at the warehouse.
The Los Angeles Unified School District says they have protocols in place to keep the children safe.
According to a spokesperson for the district, campuses located within three miles have been “deep cleaned.”
HVAC filters are also said to have been replaced and air purifiers have been placed in all classrooms and offices and masks will be available to students and staff.
Outdoor activities may be modified based on conditions and parents will be notified.
As cleanup efforts continue, the district’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety collected air and dust samples indoors and outdoors. Those samples were sent to an accredited lab for testing and the district is expected to share those results some time Tuesday.
Meanwhile, at the warehouse in Boyle Heights, a spokesperson for Lineage Logistics says they are aware students are returning to school Wednesday. They say 90 percent of the 88 million pounds of food waste has been removed.
Odor and pest mitigation continues with $80 million to $100 million allocated for clean-up, the company said.
The company said they’re on track to meet Friday’s deadline to have the waste completely cleaned up.
On Thursday, Southern California air quality regulators ordered Lineage Logistics, the operators of the burned Boyle Heights warehouse, to conduct more extensive odor mitigation and contiguously monitor harmful chemicals, such as ammonia.
The decision was issued after the South Coast Air Quality Management District hear from Lineage representatives for two days. Many Boyle Heights residents took buses to express their health and air quality concerns to the board.