Rotting 85 Million Pounds of Food Fouls East Los Angeles Weeks After June 17 Warehouse Fire

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 3

Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles residents are now contending with a powerful stench from a cold-storage warehouse fire that has been out for more than a week.
Eighty-five million pounds of beef, pork, poultry and seafood left inside the fire-damaged building since the June 17 blaze are decomposing as crews haul out spoiled food and debris.
Cleanup trucks and heavy equipment were working at the site Tuesday, but residents said removal has not moved fast enough and the odor shifts with wind and distance from the block-long warehouse.
The smell has added to earlier fears over toxic smoke, elevated air pollution and possible environmental damage near the Los Angeles River, while residents also report headaches, breathing problems, burning eyes and worries about rodents.

Sources

With a history of safety violations, was the toxic LA warehouse fire an unavoidable accident or corporate negligence?

Why do industrial disasters like the LA fire disproportionately poison America's working-class Latino communities?

Beyond the stench, how does dumping 85 million pounds of food create an invisible climate disaster?