Cleanup efforts at a fire-ravaged cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights just got messier.<\/p>\n
In a letter sent Friday, Greg Lehmkuhl \u2014 chief executive of Lineage, which manages the facility \u2014 accused Altus Power, the solar panel subcontractor whose rooftop equipment is suspected of potentially sparking the June 17 blaze, of obstructing demolition efforts. <\/p>\n
According to the letter, which was addressed to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and county Supervisor Hilda Solis, Lineage was prepared and had the necessary permits to begin demolition work at the site Friday, as required under emergency executive orders and a Los Angeles County public health directive issued June 29.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnlike Altus and other involved parties, Lineage has been on the front lines since day one, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to execute a safe and swift remediation effort,\u201d Lehmkuhl wrote. <\/p>\n
An Altus spokesperson said Friday that the company\u2019s primary concern is the well-being of the community affected by the fire, and added that the company is cooperating with local officials as the investigation continues.<\/p>\n
Lehmkuhl wrote that crews were ready to begin removing debris when they received a notice Thursday ordering them to halt demolition. The letter did not explain the pause, but suggested it may have been intended to preserve evidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work we planned does not affect the suspected area of origin or materials potentially relevant to evidence preservation or further investigation,\u201d Lehmkuhl wrote. \u201cThis is unacceptable. Public safety is our number one priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the Altus Power spokesperson said because an official cause of the fire has not yet been determined, concerns about the investigation stand. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last 24 hours multiple parties joined in asking Lineage to appropriately preserve and not destroy relevant evidence during its site remediations,\u201d the Altus spokesperson told The Times. \u201cIt is unfortunate that Lineage appears to be focused on pointing fingers rather than getting this community the swift clean-up and answers it deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lineage previously said<\/a> the fire started days after Altus Power conducted performance tests on the warehouse rooftop June 17. <\/p>\n Lehmkuhl said there is an urgent need to prevent additional flareups, clear debris and address the persistent odor<\/a> of millions of pounds of rotting food at the site. <\/p>\n Many residents living near the warehouse have expressed concerns<\/a> for their health and loved ones, with some calling for the warehouse to shut down entirely<\/a>.<\/p>\n Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said in a written statement that \u201cno private party should be allowed to use process, finger-pointing, or liability disputes as an excuse to slow down cleanup that the community urgently needs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am calling on Lineage, Altus, the property owner, and every involved party to cooperate immediately with the City, County, LAFD, Public Health, and regulatory agencies,\u201d Jurado said in the statement to The Times. \u201cIf there are legitimate evidence-preservation concerns, they must be addressed through a clear, written protocol that allows investigators to do their work without delaying urgent remediation.\u201d<\/p>\n Crews battled the Boyle Heights warehouse fire for about a week before they got it under control<\/a>. Questions remain about how long the cleanup process will take, and what long-term repercussions there may be from the resulting air pollution<\/a>.<\/p>\n