Lineage Nears Boyle Heights Cleanup After $100 Million Effort as Residents Press Lawsuits
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
Lineage Nears Boyle Heights Cleanup After $100 Million Effort as Residents Press Lawsuits
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30
Summary
Within a week, crews are expected to finish removing remaining debris and sanitize the burned Boyle Heights freezer, marking the end of a major cleanup phase after June’s fire left millions of pounds of food rotting.
More than 100,000 work hours and over $100 million have gone into the effort, Lineage said, while air regulators described persistent odors that affected surrounding neighborhoods for weeks.
Residents and local officials say the progress came too late, citing months of stench, pests and health problems; Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado said Lineage missed cleanup deadlines.
Several federal lawsuits, including class actions, allege respiratory illness and business losses, while three community groups have signaled another suit over allegedly incomplete reporting of chemicals released in the fire.