Pest control in Boyle Heights<\/p>\n
Flies, rodents and other pests have been a persistent problem in Boyle Heights and nearby communities as millions of pounds of food rot in a nearby burned-out warehouse. It\u2019s gotten bad enough that L.A.\u2019s mayor is asking for action from the L.A. County Department of Public Health.<\/p>\n
Flies, rodents and other pests have been a persistent problem in Boyle Heights<\/a> and nearby communities as millions of pounds of food rot in a nearby burned-out warehouse. It\u2019s gotten bad enough that L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is asking for action from the L.A. County Department of Public Health.<\/p>\n In a letter<\/a> sent Tuesday to county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, Bass said she\u2019s \u201cconcerned with County DPH\u2019s pace in addressing this disaster\u201d and the risks it posed to health and quality of life.<\/p>\n \u201cPossibly the worst manifestation of these risks is the severe infestation of flies in Boyle Heights and neighboring communities,\u201d Bass wrote.<\/p>\n LAist has asked the Department of Public Health for comment and will update this article when they respond.<\/p>\n Keep up with LAist.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. <\/p>\n The back-and-forth between jurisdictions<\/p>\n Bass wrote that the city of L.A., which does not have its own health department, is largely dependent on L.A. County for control of potentially disease-carrying vectors. The city has said elsewhere that its Sanitation Department did set about 250 rat traps in surrounding areas.<\/p>\n Bass\u2019 letter says the county took its first steps to hold warehouse operator Lineage accountable for a fly infestation on July 17, ordering the company to remove flies and mosquitoes from the property.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough I appreciate that County DPH has taken this first step, the County\u2019s report only directs Lineage to eliminate flies from Lineage\u2019s own property,\u201d Bass\u2019 letter to Ferrer states.<\/p>\n Bass urged the county to compel Lineage to address pests at neighboring properties \u201cwith aggressive measures to eliminate the flies and any other vectors.\u201d<\/p>\n As for L.A. County\u2019s Department of Public Health, a spokesperson told LAist on July 17 that it had itself directed the city and Lineage to address the pest situation.<\/p>\n \u201cLos Angeles County Department of Public Health requested that both Lineage Logistics and the City of Los Angeles develop and implement a vector\/insect control plan,\u201d the statement reads.<\/p>\n Lineage\u2019s part<\/p>\n According to Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights on the L.A. City Council and met with Lineage representatives on Monday, an inspector contracted by the company confirmed<\/a> that the rotting food at the warehouse is serving as a breeding ground for flies. The infestation won\u2019t go away without addressing the root cause, Jurado reported the contractor as saying.<\/p>\n \u201cRemoving waste, adding odor-control equipment, and conducting a pest inspection are important,\u201d Jurado said in a statement. \u201cBut residents are asking a more fundamental question: Are conditions actually improving? They deserve evidence, timelines and accountability \u2014 not just a list of activities.\u201d<\/p>\n Lineage has not yet presented its pest control plan to the public.<\/p>\n A ticking clock<\/p>\n The first day of instruction for L.A. Unified schools is Aug. 12, three days before the city\u2019s current deadline to clear the warehouse \u2014 a deadline Lineage does not appear to be on track to meet<\/a>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s led many teachers and parents to raise the alarm about smells and pests that may very well still be around when school starts. An LAUSD spokesperson told Boyle Heights Beat<\/a> that it is prepared to temporarily relocate nearby schools, as they did with summer programs during the warehouse fire.<\/p>\n Lineage meets deadline at last minute<\/p>\n