Padilla Conducts Oversight at Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Site

Padilla, Schiff, Gomez press EPA to protect community from long-term impacts

PHOTOS: Padilla conducts oversight in Boyle Heights following warehouse fire that impacted local communities

LOS ANGELES, CA - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, conducted oversight at the Lineage Logistics cold food storage warehouse in Boyle Heights following the weeklong fire that blanketed nearby communities with smoke and raised concerns about long-term environmental contamination. Padilla announced he, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34) are pressing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to continue monitoring the fire's long-term impacts on air and water quality, and to work closely with state and local partners throughout the recovery.

"The fire may be out, but our responsibility to this community is not over," said Senator Alex Padilla. "Families deserve answers about what they were exposed to, whether the air and water are safe, and what steps are being taken to protect their health. That's why I'm pressing the EPA to continue monitoring for long-term contamination and to work alongside state and local agencies until this community has the certainty it deserves."

As part of his oversight visit, Padilla met with local stakeholders and community leaders from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), and Coalition for Clean Air to hear firsthand about ongoing recovery efforts and assess environmental concerns.

Additional photos from today's oversight visit are available here. For additional B-roll/pool footage, reach out to .

In a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Padilla, Schiff, and Gomez acknowledged the EPA's initial response while urging the agency not to let up as recovery efforts continue.

"Contaminated runoff from the water used to extinguish the fire has spread through the industrial area surrounding the warehouse and collected in streets and drainage systems near the property," wrote the lawmakers. "We urge EPA to continue to support LAFD, the lead organization for the response to this incident, in performing ongoing air and water monitoring and sampling, and to continue to work in close coordination with state and local partners to study the possible long-term effects of contamination from the fire."

"The chemicals and food products present in the warehouse and the length of time required to extinguish the fire has put communities across Southern California at risk," the lawmakers continued. "While firefighting crews continue to work tirelessly to mitigate damage from the flames, state, local, and federal agencies must work together to monitor air and water quality in the weeks following this incident and to continue to communicate proactively with local communities."

Padilla has consistently pushed for strong federal environmental oversight and fought efforts to weaken EPA's ability to protect public health. In 2023, Padilla met with community leaders and families impacted by pollution caused by the nearby former Exide Technologies Inc. facility and called on EPA to designate the impacted neighborhoods as a Superfund site.

Full letter is available here and below:

Dear Administrator Zeldin:

We write to express our support for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) initial response to the Boyle Heights warehouse fire in Los Angeles and to request that the agency continue to support state and local partners in monitoring air and water quality impacts on local communities.

As you know, the warehouse fire started on June 17 and has generated significant smoke that continues to affect air quality across Southern California. Furthermore, contaminated runoff from the water used to extinguish the fire has spread through the industrial area surrounding the warehouse and collected in streets and drainage systems near the property. This water is mixed with ash, debris, and burned insulation which could contaminate ocean and regional waterway ecosystems like the LA River. Given the materials present in the warehouse, we are concerned about the long-term health and environmental impacts from contaminated smoke and water runoff on communities surrounding the warehouse.

We were pleased to learn that EPA has partnered with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and South Coast Air Quality Monitoring District (SCAQMD) to perform air monitoring and sampling to measure levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, and toxic metals. Both Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Newsom issued emergency declarations on June 20, authorizing the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services to provide additional assistance and resources. We urge EPA to continue to support LAFD, the lead organization for the response to this incident, in performing ongoing air and water monitoring and sampling, and to continue to work in close coordination with state and local partners to study the possible long-term effects of contamination from the fire.

The chemicals and food products present in the warehouse and the length of time required to extinguish the fire has put communities across Southern California at risk. While firefighting crews continue to work tirelessly to mitigate damage from the flames, state, local, and federal agencies must work together to monitor air and water quality in the weeks following this incident and to continue to communicate proactively with local communities. We encourage full cooperation across agencies and municipalities to ensure that Californians can continue to withstand and recover from this fire. Thank you for your attention thus far, and we look forward to continuing to coordinate emergency and disaster response efforts with EPA.

Sincerely,

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