Tensions in Boyle Heights reached fever pitch Thursday evening as residents — who voiced exposure to toxic fumes, the smell of rotting food, and a lack of answers after the Lineage warehouse fire — made their frustrations known at a tense town hall meeting.
Mayor Karen Bass struggled to open the meeting amid loud cries and screams from community members, actions that were repeated as other elected officials took the microphone. The crowd went wild when Chief of Staff Jeff Rivera took the stage and was met with chants of “Liar!”
Dozens of protesters marched several kilometers from where the dangerous fire is burning to the meeting, saying that the place has poisoned their community and they want it to be removed forever. More than 200 people were turned away at the door as the venue reached capacity and continued to gather outside with drums, whistles and signs reading “Lineage out” and “We see your selfish side.”
“We are one community and one city and we are making sure we get the necessary solutions,” said protest leader Jazmine Garcia. “This is about quality of life. This is about not being ignored anymore.”
Firefighters battled for several days to put down a fire that broke out in the roof of the Lineage cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights on June 17.
Air quality has been a public concern since the incident began. Aside from the health risks of breathing in the smoke from the building fire, there was a brief scare when an ammonia line that helped keep the building refrigerated was disrupted, although Lineage said the chemical was not detected in the air. There are also 85 million pounds of food that melted, burned and spoiled inside, creating a foul smell from the area.
“I know the last few weeks have been very difficult,” Rivera said at the meeting. “I understand the uncertainty, frustration, and inconvenience caused, and I apologize.”
As part of the directive signed by Bass last week, city officials are requiring Lineage and the building’s owner, Chill Build, to submit a comprehensive cleanup plan to the city. The orders also require companies to remove millions of pounds of perishable food inside the warehouse within 45 days.
Rivera said the cleanup began Monday and the company is moving as quickly as possible with the goal of beating the city’s 45-day timeline to complete the project.
So far, 1.4 million pounds of solid waste has been removed, and another 3.2 million pounds will be removed in the coming days, said Brian Martin, representative of Clean Harbors, a company helping with the cleanup. The removal of the building started on Tuesday and is now 6.5% complete, with around 200 people working on the site around the clock.
Lineage wrapped parts of the building with a temporary material intended to contain waste, reduce odors and dampen noise during the renovation process. Digestion systems are also used outside to reduce odors from rotting food, while air quality monitoring continues at eight locations.
Rivera told residents that air quality test results show that the air is currently safe for the community. He also outlined the services that Lineage will provide to residents living near the site during the cleanup. That includes Food4Less grocery vouchers, housing vouchers for those who choose to relocate during the cleanup, cash assistance with prepaid cards and support for utility bills.
Earlier this week, Mayor Bass, Council Member Ysabel Jurado and several local leaders met with company officials to demand answers as the cleanup continues.
“Despite the urgency of public concerns, the company has not provided concrete public commitments, funding amounts, or implementation times for the requested relief and assistance measures,” Jurado’s office said in a statement Monday.
According to the council member’s office, local leaders have pressed corporate executives about the support local residents may still need, including cleaning times, relocation assistance, health support, small business assistance and the application process.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Lineage officials said they are still looking to work with community leaders.
“Nothing is more important right now than completing the demolition and cleanup as quickly and safely as possible to protect the health and safety of Boyle Heights and East LA,” the statement read. “We are working urgently to remove the food and debris affected by the fire and we are committed to this community in every way.”
Last week, a group of about 50 residents gathered not far from the warehouse, demanding that the company clean up the debris from the fire and pack it up to leave.
Ancestry “needs to be cleansed and never [come] back,” said Alma Laugnas at last week’s meeting.” “It is really difficult for us to live this way.”
The crowds sang in Spanish, “Thank you!” (“They have to go!”) and said their daily lives continued to be affected, with children and older residents unwilling to be outside because of the smell.
