South Coast AQMD outlined more than 20 steps for Lineage to take to comply with state law on public nuisances, such as requiring them to apply odor neutralizer to food waste and trucks containing it, requiring coverings for parked trucks loaded with food waste, and notifying the community of any activities that may increase odors.<\/p>\n
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For its part, Lineage reports that it has been attempting to mitigate the rancid smells coming from its warehouse as it hauls away dozens of truckloads of waste.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d Lineage\u2019s website reads<\/a>. \u201cIt will get better as the cleanup progresses.\u201d<\/p>\n The demand letter sent to Lineage also notified the company that South Coast AQMD planned to start a process<\/a> that could lead to the company being fined or sued.<\/p>\n South Coast AQMD said Tuesday that Lineage responded to its letter demanding additional odor controls at 5 p.m. A spokesperson said the agency is currently evaluating the document.<\/p>\n About South Coast AQMD\u2019s notices<\/p>\n South Coast AQMD has issued notices of violation to Lineage for at least nine consecutive days<\/a>, starting July 12, for \u201cdischarging such quantities of air contaminants to cause injury, detriment, nuisance or annoyance to a considerable number of persons.\u201d <\/p>\n Though South Coast AQMD has not announced if it has levied any fines on Lineage yet, it has a formal process<\/a> in place to resolve the notices of violations it has issued. Any fines would then be collected by the state.<\/p>\n According to the South Coast AQMD, violators of state air quality regulations face a sliding scale of penalties depending on the severity. The base civil penalties range from $5,000 per day for a simple violation to $75,000 daily if a person \u201cwillfully and intentionally emits an air contaminant\u201d in violation of state law<\/a>. Those penalties could be $100,000 or more if the contaminants are found to have harmed anyone.<\/p>\n Help keep stories like this free<\/p>\n \n LAist is 100% community funded. Your support makes it possible to keep producing the local reporting Southern California depends on.\n <\/p>\n South Coast AQMD has not yet announced litigation against Lineage, though it mentioned the possibility of a civil suit in statements released last week.<\/p>\n UCLA environmental health professor Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne said that criminal cases against companies responsible for air contamination are more difficult to bring to trial compared to other forms of accountability.<\/p>\n Prosecutors \u201chave to show that they intentionally were doing something bad, and that they knew that they were doing this, and they still kept doing it,\u201d Ornelas Van Horne said. \u201cSo most of the time, the legal pathway is through these penalties and civil lawsuits \u2014 if at all \u2014 to bring them into compliance.\u201d<\/p>\n Another ongoing question is whether the warehouse continues to be a source of air pollutants. A tracker on Lineage\u2019s website<\/a> shows that on July 15 and 17, the most recently reported days, the air quality was within EPA guidelines for all contaminants measured, including carbon monoxide and ammonia. (You can see AQMD\u2019s measurements here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Smoke from the Boyle Heights warehouse fire could be seen for miles in June. This image was captured June 20 on the 110\/105 Freeway interchange. <\/p>\n Ornelas Van Horne, who studies the impact of pollutants on marginalized communities, said that Lineage was using benchmarks that were meant for acute exposure to contaminants, which the EPA defines as under 14 days. Since it\u2019s now been over a month since the warehouse caught fire, she said it\u2019s important to reevaluate how appropriate the guidelines for acute exposure are in this situation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat they’re measuring is in concentrations of what we’d call PPM,\u201d parts per million, Ornelas Van Horne said. \u201cBut as we move toward \u2026 longer time periods, those levels actually go down to PPB [parts per billion], and so that’s super important to emphasize.\u201d<\/p>\n How to report odors and pests to officials<\/p>\n You can register complaints with the South Coast AQMD over odors, smog and other nuisances affecting air quality online<\/a>, using South Coast AQMD’s mobile app<\/a> or by calling (800) 288-7664. More information at the South Coast AQMD’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n To report rats, flies and other pests to the L.A. County Department of Public Health, you can call (888) 700-9995 or file a complaint online at Ph.lacounty.gov\/EH-Complaint<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other local agencies\u2019 oversight<\/p>\n Though South Coast AQMD has taken the lead on penalties and enforcement so far, other agencies can also step in \u2014 though they are limited by law and jurisdiction in terms of what and when they can do it.<\/p>\n On July 1, the L.A. Department of Building and Safety ordered<\/a> Lineage to remove all of the estimated 85 million pounds of spoiling food waste from the warehouse within 45 days.<\/p>\n If Lineage is found not to be in compliance by the deadline, the Department of Building and Safety can then hire contractors to remove waste and harmful materials and even demolish the building, among other actions, according to a June 29 executive order<\/a> from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.<\/p>\n The cost of these services, plus a 40% surcharge, would then be \u201cplaced as a lien on the property upon which the nuisances exist.\u201d<\/p>\n In the same executive order, Mayor Bass committed to recovering the costs of its firefighting efforts, remediation, administrative overhead costs and community recovery centers from \u201call responsible parties.\u201d<\/p>\n But city leaders have indicated they\u2019re not happy with that timeline. Bass said in an interview<\/a> with LAist media partner CBS LA that despite her original 45-day deadline, \u201cthese odors are so severe they need to move faster than that.\u201d<\/p>\n The L.A. County Department of Public Health told LAist it has looked into issues involving flies and other potential health issues in and near the warehouse, including \u201cincreased fly activity, decaying organic waste odors, and sanitation concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n Public health officials have issued their own notice to abate these issues on July 15, after an investigation that found violations of Los Angeles County code related to fly breeding.<\/p>\n The Department of Public Health also said that the city of Los Angeles and Lineage had been directed to develop a pest control plan after reports of rats, flies and other insects. Bass’ office said L.A.’s sanitation department placed and is monitoring “about 250 rodent control stations around the facility and in the neighborhood.” It also said the city has hired a pest control company. <\/p>\n LAist has reached out to Lineage for further comment on their vermin control plans.<\/p>\n \u201cRemoving [the food waste] safely takes time and requires specialized contractors,\u201d Lineage\u2019s website reads<\/a>. \u201cWe are required to follow strict environmental and safety protocols set by the City of Los Angeles and [South Coast Air Quality Management District]. We have cleanup crews working around the clock, and we are pushing to move faster wherever we safely can.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the company will indeed have to pick up the pace in order to meet the city\u2019s mid-August deadline. An estimated 3.5% of the total food waste \u2014 1,506 tons \u2014 has been cleared out to date. Between July 15 and July 20, Lineage cleared out 695 tons of spoiled food, an average of 139 tons per day, according to data released by the company. At that pace, the company will have removed about 10.1% of the estimated 85 million pounds of food waste by Aug. 15. LAist has asked Lineage about the pace of cleanup and will update this article when the company responds.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784712348_354_.jpeg\")
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