Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has vowed to pursue civil litigation and "all legal avenues" against Lineage Logistics after the company missed a court-ordered deadline to clear millions of pounds of rotting food from a burned-out warehouse in Boyle Heights. Residents living near the Lineage Logistics facility have complained for weeks about foul odors, pests, and concerns over potential chemical contamination.
The deadline for the food waste removal was set by Bass for Friday at 5 p.m. The company, however, stated it would not meet the deadline and now expects to complete the removal by August 27. Lineage Logistics claims that 93% of the bulk food waste has already been removed and that the cleanup is only 37 days into an expected 45-day period.
"Lineage is a multibillion-dollar company with the resources to meet the 45-day deadline I set," Bass said in a statement. "They have indicated that they will not meet it [Friday]. Meanwhile, the people of Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles continue to live with the consequences. Families are still dealing with horrific odors and the constant uncertainty of when this nightmare will end."
Lineage Logistics has approximately 400 workers on-site daily and is reportedly spending around $100 million on the cleanup effort. Despite these efforts, community members expressed frustration at a recent meeting, citing a lack of clear information about safety and health risks.
"Our soil, our air, our water, everything has been contaminated," one resident stated at the meeting. Another resident, Laura Garza, accused company representatives of being evasive, selectively answering questions and directing residents to hotlines.
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado also criticized Lineage Logistics, suggesting the company delayed disputing the deadline until the last moment. "For weeks, the City has publicly told Boyle Heights, the media, and anyone that would listen that August 14 was the deadline for Lineage to remove the food waste from this facility," Jurado said. "If Lineage believed that deadline was wrong, it had weeks to say so publicly. Waiting until the eve of the deadline to announce a different interpretation of the calendar is not accountability."
Bass has indicated that the city is prepared to escalate its response, stating that Lineage has failed to meet its responsibility to the community. "That is unacceptable," Bass posted on X. "I will use every resource at my disposal to demand compliance and hold Lineage accountable for every day that Boyle Heights residents are forced to breathe putrid air and deal with the flies and rats, because of the company’s negligence."
In addition to pursuing legal action, Bass has taken executive action to pause the processing of the company's plans to rebuild the facility. The fire, which began on June 17, burned for over a week, raising initial concerns about air quality and environmental impacts. Residents report ongoing issues with pests and pollution stemming from the fire and the subsequent spoilage of food.