Work to clean up the fire-damaged Lineage Logistics warehouse in Boyle Heights continued Wednesday, a day after company officials announced roughly 92% of the bulk food waste has been removed from the facility.
Lineage Logistics Inc.’s goal to complete bulk food waste removal from the cold-storage warehouse this week, according to a statement Monday when it announced approximately 90% of the rotting stored food has been removed after the cleanup effort’s July 7 start.
“We continue to make meaningful progress against this massive cleanup effort every single day, and we will keep working until the job is done,” Lineage Chief Operating Officer Jeff Rivera said in a statement Tuesday. “In addition to advancing the cleanup, we are focused on increasing pest and odor mitigants, including distributing more than 1,150 fly traps throughout the community.”
Rivera said the company “remains committed to our outreach efforts to reach residents closest to the site, with 87% now contacted. Those we have not reached remain a priority and we will continue our follow-up efforts until all households have received support.”
Lineage also announced Tuesday the distribution of an additional 800 fly traps to residents after the company previously distributed 350. Orkin, a pest control service provider, is installing 576 traps throughout the neighborhood directly adjacent to the warehouse on telephone poles and in common areas, according to Lineage.
The company had committed $80 million and $100 million to fund cleanup efforts.
A South Coast Air Quality Management District hearing board on Thursday unanimously approved a modified abatement order that requires Lineage to implement more odor-control measures during the warehouse cleanup.
Air quality regulators said that between July 12 and Aug. 5, the AQMD had received more than 4,200 odor complaints about the warehouse, and the agency issued 25 notices of violations to Lineage.
The fire erupted June 17 at the warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St. and burned for more than a week, sending thick smoke into the air that prompted official warnings for nearby residents to stay indoors. Los Angeles County, city and California authorities issued local emergency declarations in the days that followed.
The cause is under investigation, but Lineage reported that the blaze may have started during rooftop maintenance of solar electricity equipment owned by Altus Power Inc.
