Rancho Dominguez mobile home residents fed up with Dominguez Channel smell

CARSON, Calif. (KABC) -- "It smells like a freaking slaughterhouse of carcasses that are rotting on a hot summer day," said Ana Meni, a Carson resident.

Protesters gathered at the corner of Avalon and Gardena Boulevard in Carson Tuesday afternoon.

They say Rancho Dominguez mobile home residents have been dealing with the smell from the Dominguez Channel.

They say residents are having skin irritation and respiratory issues.

Protesters say officials suspect the smell from the Dominguez Channel has possibly mixed with an odor after a pallet fire happened a few weeks ago.

They say city officials haven't given them a straight answer.

"They suspect the fire, the debris from the fire, is what got into the drains which is the cause of the Dominguez Channel funk that's been going on," said Meni.

Protesters say there's debris from the fire still laying around.

Protesters think residents living on the east side of the city are the only ones getting help.

"They said it was algae. They said it was nature. They said it was a pipe burst and now they're saying they suspect the debris from this fire. If they suspect that, the residents are feeling frustrated because they're living right next to all this debris," said Meni.

Carson officials have told ABC7 they believe the odor is coming from an organic material drying out in the Dominguez Channel. The county said the odor is believed to be hydrogen sulfide.

Los Angeles County officials have encouraged residents to run their ventilation systems overnight while keeping their doors and windows closed.

The Department of Public Works is spraying a non-toxic, biodegradable deodorizer into the channel to try to alleviate the smell.

The county is also offering reimbursements for the purchase of air filters and purifiers, along with hotel stays and meals

Protesters say that's not possible for everyone.

"I was just on the phone with another resident that was trying to get help but he can't leave his home. He doesn't have the financial means to afford to even put up a deposit you know, for an incidental even when the hotel is paid for," Meni said.

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