Local elected officials Tuesday criticized the operators of a burned-out cold-storage facility in Boyle Heights for filing an application to rebuild just six weeks after a fire erupted at the site and remediation efforts continue.
The Los Angeles Building and Safety received an application for a permit to rebuild the warehouse Monday, online records show. L.A. Material, an online news outlet, first reported on the permit application Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement, Lineage officials said the company’s top priority remains completing the cleanup as quickly and safely as possible. The company explained the permit application is to repair the damage from the fire, which they maintained was not caused by cold storage operations at the facility.
“This is normal course in the repair process and will not impact or distract us from the important work of cleanup,” according to a statement from Lineage.
“Cold storage facilities are critical infrastructure that keep food moving from farms, to ports, to grocery stores across Los Angeles. Communities around the region have depended on them for over 100 years,” Lineage added.
News of the permit application prompted swift and critical responses from City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, who represents the area, Mayor Karen Bass, and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
“It is outrageous that Lineage is seeking permits to rebuild while the disaster it created has not even been cleaned up,” Jurado said in a statement. “Families are still living with the odor, pests and disruption, and the surrounding neighborhood remains in shamble.
“At this time, I have no intention of supporting Lineage rebuilding at this site. Given the conditions residents are still enduring and the company’s failure to make this community whole, rebuilding is not even a conversation I am prepared to have,” Jurado added.
Bass in a statement said she couldn’t believe the company would even think about starting the rebuilding process while it hasn’t cleaned up the mess from the fire. The mayor noted Lineage should be solely focused on clean up.
“It’s a slap in the face to the families that are forced to live with the consequences of an irresponsible corporation’s actions every single day. We are in the process of revising our Executive Order to reflect these rebuilding concerns because this situation has become so egregious,” Bass said in her statement.
L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath flagged the permit application during Tuesday’s board meeting. She urged her colleagues and county staff to proactively comment and share concerns as part of the process.
“I think it’s poorly timed for that,” Horvath said.
Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents cities and unincorporated areas of East L.A., said it was very disappointing to hear. She noted the permitting process is within the city of L.A.’s jurisdiction, but the county also has a responsibility to stand up for constituents affected by the fire.
“We have to speak up, and we will prepare whatever correspondence is necessary to let them know that’s not something that we want to see happening,” Solis said.
Last week, more than 80% of Boyle Heights residents surveyed by Los Angeles County public health officials after the June warehouse fire reported persistent, strong odors from the site, while nearly three-quarters expressed concerns about health symptoms, according to survey results released today.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it conducted door-to-door outreach July 15-16 in the neighborhood surrounding the Lineage Logistics cold-storage warehouse, where a June 17 fire left tons of food to rot, creating odors and attracting flies, rodents and other pests.
County health officials cited Lineage for unsanitary and nuisance conditions at the warehouse after inspectors found decaying organic waste, wastewater, food residue and evidence of flies and fly larvae at the site. The company faces fines of up to $500 per day until the violations are corrected.
Lineage said nearly half of the food waste had been removed from the property and that cleanup crews had begun scraping and power washing the concrete slab. The company said demolition of the remaining burned structure is expected to be largely completed in the coming days, although removing portions of the building could temporarily increase odors despite additional odor-control measures.
The fire broke out June 17 at the warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St., sending thick smoke over Boyle Heights and prompting local emergency declarations by city, county and state officials. The blaze took more than a week to fully extinguish.
The cause remains under investigation. Lineage has said it believes the fire started while a subcontractor for Altus Power, owner of the building’s rooftop solar array, was testing the system. Altus Power has said the cause has not been determined.