A criminal investigation was being conducted Tuesday at the burned-out Lineage Logistics warehouse in Boyle Heights, according to multiple reports.
The probe was being led by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control’s Office of Criminal Investigations, NBC4 reported, but personnel from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office were also seen at the shuttered warehouse Tuesday morning.
“We are aware of reports of law enforcement activity at the Lineage warehouse site in Boyle Heights,” said City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, who represents the area. “We understand the concern these reports are causing, particularly for workers and their families. We are working to verify which agencies are involved, the purpose of the activity, and whether there are any immediate impacts on workers or nearby residents. We will share confirmed information as it becomes available. Boyle Heights deserves clear answers and a recovery that puts community health and safety first.”
Further information about the investigation was not immediately available.
Lineage Logistics provided the following statement to City News Service on Tuesday:
“Our industry is regulated by dozens of agencies, and we regularly work with them collaboratively and transparently. To be clear, we do not store hazardous chemicals or products in this facility. We store food.
“Further, the facility’s ammonia refrigeration system was safely pumped out shortly after the fire began and before the fire reached the refrigeration system. The ammonia was subsequently removed from the site. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported no ammonia was detected during its response, and subsequent environmental monitoring has consistently shown results within normal levels for the neighborhood and no ammonia concentrations above health-based action levels. We have shared relevant testing and monitoring information on our website and with regulatory agencies and will continue to do so.”
The fire erupted June 17 at the facility at 1400 S. Los Palos St. It raged for days and led to millions of pounds of rotting food, impacting nearby residents. Lineage eventually completed a massive cleanup effort at the site.
The cause of the fire remains officially undetermined, but investigators found that the blaze originated on the roof at or near a section of solar panels. Lineage has sued Altus Power Inc., owner of the solar array on the building’s roof, and contractor Pearce Services, alleging they were responsible for starting the fire.
A representative of Los Palos Street Operating, an Altus subsidiary, has disputed Lineage’s allegations and said the company would contest the claims in court.
Dining and Cooking