Don’t hold your breath.
Nearly two months after a massive warehouse fire in a Los Angeles neighborhood that left millions of pounds of meat to rot, locals say the stench of spoiled goods lingers in the air.
Residents of East LA’s Boyle Heights say the stench has made life in the neighborhood difficult, overpowering their homes, sickening them, and impacting their small businesses.
In a July 27 survey from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 90% of Boyle Heights residents reported the presence of “constant” odors.
Resident Alicia Naranjo told CNN the odors are present throughout her home, causing her to have trouble breathing, headaches, congestion, coughing and throat pain.
Another Boyle Heights resident, Lissett Navaratte, told the outlet that the rotten smell causes her to lose her appetite, and even drove her mother-in-law to seek medical attention at a clinic.
“She just started throwing up, feeling dizzy,” Navarrete said. “It’s just catching up to us.”
The smell is also hitting residents’ pockets. Juan Canil, who operates an auto shop across from the warehouse, says his business has struggled.
“Since the street is closed, I’ve lost a lot of work,” he told CNN. “A lot of money.”
Coffee stand owner Alexis Sicairos said the stench has stopped customers from showing up.
“Due to the fire, obviously most of them aren’t here,” Sicairos told the BBC. “So we lost those customers, but we also lost customers that don’t want to be around the smell, the smoke, the flies. It’s understandable. But we have to keep paying our bills, so we’re still here.”
At a town hall last week, residents shared testimony of the fire’s impact, including one resident who called the smell “unbearable.”
“Massive headaches have impeded me from living my daily normal life,” said Carla Martinez. “It has prevented me from going to work, going to the grocery store for supplies, and just overall daily activities. Being stuck inside with no A/C in this heat is unbearable, not to mention the cost of having the air purifiers running for a semblance of fresh air.”
Lineage Logistics, which owns the warehouse, said 85% of the food has been removed in an August 7 update. They expect to complete bulk food waste removal this week.
The company says they have distributed $207,000 in cash assistance cards, 600 air purifiers, 650 air conditioning units, and 638 cases of bottled water to those affected.
“Cleanup crews are working around the clock to remove food waste, clear debris and dismantle damaged sections of the structure,” the company said in their update. “However, this is a highly complex operation.”
LA Mayor Karen Bass blasted Lineage for doing “the bare minimum” and not moving with urgency in an Instagram video.
“Lineage shouldn’t even think about coming back and rebuilding this warehouse,” the mayor said. “Every day this site isn’t cleaned up, is another day families are forced to live with the consequences of an irresponsible corporation.”
A report obtained by NBC Los Angeles warned that an infestation of green bottle flies at the warehouse could cause the spread of myiasis, a potentially deadly infectious disease that occurs when the flies lay eggs in the open wounds of humans or animals.
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