Nearly 1 month since Boyle Heights warehouse fire, Padilla urges EPA to monitor clean-up
BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Nearly one month after the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, there's still millions of pounds of rotting food inside the 250,000-square-foot section of the warehouse that wasn't destroyed.
The smell continues to be a big problem for the surrounding community, which is why odor-control systems are in place around the warehouse, including a deodorant and bleach solution that is being sprayed. There are also traps for rodents, flies and the building has been wrapped in Tyvek to help control the odor.
"Many of these families in this community don't have the resources to just get up and move, right? And so getting them the resources they need and the help they need, the technical assistance they need is probably the number one priority," said Joe Lyou, the CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air.
Officials are warning that the heat wave that we are experiencing could make the smell worse.
California Senator Alex Padilla toured the Boyle Heights neighborhood on Tuesday, joined by air quality experts, the city of Los Angeles, and LAFD Chief Jaime Moore. Mayor Karen Bass has given Lineage 45 days to remove what's rotting inside their warehouse.
"We wished all the product would be removed by tomorrow, but that's not the case. So as long as it takes to work around the clock to remove the product, we want to make sure the protections are in place for the surrounding community," said Padilla.
Sen. Padilla and Sen. Adam Schiff, along with Congressman Jimmy Gomez, sent a letter Tuesday to the EPA asking them to protect the community from the long-term impacts of the fire.
"When a disaster seems to be over or on the tail end of the crisis stages of it, the EPA tends to move on to their next project. We can't let them move on yet. We're still needing to monitor the air, monitor the water, and show the safety and the health of the local community," said Padilla.
