Dominguez Channel odor fix could cost up to $143 million, says LA County Public Works

Eliminating the persistent noxious odor that’s emanated from the Dominguez Channel and plagued Carson residents — and those of different communities — since aboriginal October has outgo astatine slightest $54 cardinal truthful far, officials say.

And that fig could deed $143 cardinal if the odor isn’t wholly gone by March.

That’s according to Mark Pestrella, manager of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. His bureau oversees astir 483 miles of unfastened transmission and has taken work for the odor, treating the h2o successful the Dominguez Channel with a non-toxic and biodegradable odor neutralizer called Epoleon.

Efforts to quell the stench — which has included aggregate federal, authorities and section agencies — continue.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is acceptable to springiness regular support for Public Works to proceed attraction and monitoring of the odor during its Tuesday, Nov. 30, meeting.

Officials person said the rancid odor — astir which residents arsenic acold distant arsenic Long Beach person complained — is caused by precocious levels of hydrogen sulfide being released from decaying vegetation successful the channel.

But Public Works officials are besides conducting an probe into the odor, and whether thing caused oregon catalyzed the odor emanating from the vegetation.

Pestrella, successful erstwhile statements, said that his department’s probe would see section refineries, chemic plants, sewage attraction facilities and different sites adjacent the channel.

Public Works began treating the transmission h2o with an odor-neutralizing chemic connected Oct. 15.

Since then, AQMD monitoring information amusement that hydrogen sulfide levels successful the aerial person decreased consistently astatine each locations, excluding the presumption astatine the monitoring presumption astatine East 213th and Chico streets, successful Carson.

The levels astatine that station, however, inactive autumn wrong the ineligible bounds allowed by authorities law.

“All this information tells america that we’re doing the close happening and that we’ve figured retired what is really happening wrong the h2o that is causing the smell,” Pestrella said successful a caller municipality hallway meeting. “We cognize what we’re dealing with, we cognize the quantity of it and we tin present foretell however agelong it volition instrumentality until we’re wholly done with treating this water.”

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