Simi Valley residents protest foul odor from rotting food hauled after warehouse fire
People in Simi Valley’s Big Sky area are complaining about a strong stench and flies after truckloads of spoiled meat and produce from a Boyle Heights warehouse fire were dumped at a nearby landfill.
Residents of the Big Sky neighborhood in Simi Valley have raised concerns about a persistent, foul smell and an increase in flies after truckloads of rotting food were taken to a local landfill. The waste came from Lineage’s large cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, which suffered a major fire on June 17 that destroyed its refrigeration system and left roughly 85 million pounds of beef, chicken, seafood and other products to spoil.
The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District responded to neighborhood complaints by issuing a notice of violation to the landfill and continues to monitor the situation. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued more than 30 citations for decaying organic waste and pest activity. The South Coast Air Quality Management District reported that most of the spoiled material has been removed, and Lineage now has a week to complete the remaining cleanup, including power-washing and disinfecting the facility.
Investigations into the fire’s cause remain ongoing, with Lineage suggesting rooftop solar testing may have sparked the blaze, a claim disputed by Altus Power. The lingering odor and pest issues remain a source of frustration for local homeowners.
Why it matters
The incident highlights how industrial accidents can create secondary public-health and environmental problems for nearby communities.
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