The blaze erupted on June 17 and burned for a week, leaving behind 85 million pounds of food to spoil.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said gave the company until 5 p.m. Friday to clear out all the food waste from the site. But, Lineage said it is only 37 days into a 45-day cleanup period, with 93% of the bulk food waste removed. They're expected to finish all food removal, spot clean and disinfect by Aug. 27.
"The 45-day cleanup clock began on July 7, the day the Los Angeles Fire Department ended its 24-hour fire watch at the site after persistent flare-ups made it unsafe to enter," according to a Lineage statement Friday. "That date is documented in every report we have submitted to the city and is the start date recognized by the South Coast AQMD. We are at day 37. We have time remaining, and we intend to use every hour of it."
"Lineage is a multibillion-dollar company with the resources to meet the 45-day deadline I set," Bass said in a statement. "They have indicated that they will not meet it [Friday]. Meanwhile, the people of Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles continue to live with the consequences. Families are still dealing with horrific odors and the constant uncertainty of when this nightmare will end."
"For weeks, the City has publicly told Boyle Heights, the media, and anyone that would listen that August 14 was the deadline for Lineage to remove the food waste from this facility," Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said in a statement. "If Lineage believed that deadline was wrong, it had weeks to say so publicly. Waiting until the eve of the deadline to announce a different interpretation of the calendar is not accountability."
Lineage said it has about 400 workers a day working on cleanup efforts at the warehouse, and it is spending about $100 million on cleanup efforts.
"The timeline is dictated by the reality on the ground, not by our willingness or our resources... We have spared no expense, held nothing back, and we are not slowing down. We will not stop until the job is done," Lineage said. "No cleanup of this complexity has ever been executed at this speed."
Boyle Heights residents living near the burned-out warehouse are caught in the middle and left to deal with the stench of rotting food, pests and vermin being drawn to the neighborhood by the food and the pollution left by the fire.
"I don't think they worked hard enough to get that done. I think if it was anywhere else, it would've been done like that," area resident Dolores Hinojos said.
"Our soil, our air, our water, everything has been contaminated," a resident said during a community meeting Thursday night.
Angry residents packed the Boyle Heights Community Center, venting their frustrations and trying to get answers from representatives of Lineage Logistics. The public forum Thursday night was virtual, with company representatives attending via webinar and wrapping up after an hour.
Residents said they were left hanging, with Lineage providing few answers to questions about health and safety.
"They picked and chose what questions they were going to answer. And then, it was the same answers. You can call these phone numbers," Boyle Heights resident Laura Garza said. "Lineage has a number you can call if you want an air conditioner. But what's the number you call if you want to know what chemicals you were exposed to, and why they haven't cleaned it up yet?"
Lineage Logistics to miss L.A.'s food cleanup deadline, says they have more time
Bass said that Lineage has failed to meet its responsibility to the community and is calling on the city council to pursue civil litigation and all legal avenues to recover costs.
"I've asked our City lawyers to pursue civil litigation and all legal options for cost recovery and penalties and to put a lien on the property if they don't pay," Bass said.
"Lineage, frankly, in my opinion, has worn out its welcome in the community," Bass added. "And, I've taken executive action to pause the processing of their plans to rebuild."