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Dominguez Channel Odor Incident, Carson, California
The Los Angeles Water Board has been coordinating with the County of Los Angeles and other government agencies to investigate the hydrogen sulfide odors from the Dominguez Channel Estuary since October 2021.
As part of that investigation, the Los Angeles Water Board learned of a warehouse located at 16325 South Avalon Boulevard in Carson, where alcohol-based products, such as hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes, caught fire on September 30, 2021.
On July 14, 2022 the Los Angeles Water Board Prosecution Team issued three administrative civil liability complaints, detailed below. The complaints were amended on November 9, 2022. On March 17, 2023 a second amended Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0218-A2 was issued. The administrative civil liability complaints were rescinded without prejudice on June 20, 2023.
Los Angeles Water Board will consider a resolution to refer the matter to the Office of the Attorney General for judicial civil enforcement at the Los Angeles Water Board’s August 16, 2023 board meeting.
Below are actions taken by the Los Angeles Water Board over the course of its investigation.
Los Angeles Water Board will consider a resolution to refer the matter to the Office of the Attorney General for judicial civil enforcement against Day to Day Imports Inc., Virgin Scent Inc. dba ArtNaturals, Akiva Nourollah, Yosef Nourollah, Yehuda Nourollah, Yaakov Nourollah, Liberty Property Limited Partnership, and Prologis, Inc. at the Los Angeles Water Board’s July 27, 2023 board meeting. Comments on the draft resolution must be submitted to Lydia Kim at Lydia.Kim@waterboards.ca.gov by 5:00 pm on July 20, 2023.
To obtain documents listed above or for additional questions, please contact Russ Colby, Compliance and Enforcement Section Manager, Russ.Colby@waterboards.ca.gov.
On July 14, 2022, Assistant Executive Officer Hugh Marley issued Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0218 against warehouse operators Day to Day Imports Inc. and Virgin Scent Inc. dba ArtNaturals, and property owners Liberty Property Limited Partnership and Prologis, Inc. for allegedly discharging polluted water, including hazardous substances, to the Dominguez Channel Estuary in violation of the Clean Water Act and California Water Code. An amended Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0218-A1 was issued on November 9, 2022. A second amended Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0218-A2 was issued on March 17, 2023. Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0218-A2 was rescinded without prejudice on June 20, 2023.
On December 9, 2021, the Los Angeles Water Board issued a cleanup and abatement order to Day to Day Imports Inc. and Liberty Property Limited Partnership requiring the cleanup and abatement of all waste by December 31, 2021. On July 14, 2022, Assistant Executive Officer Hugh Marley issued Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0219 against these entities seeking over $600,000 in administrative civil liabilities for this violation. An amended Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0219-A1 was issued on November 9, 2022. Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0219-A1 was rescinded without prejudice on June 20, 2023.
On July 14, 2022, Assistant Executive Officer Hugh Marley issued Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0217 seeking over $900,000 in administrative civil liabilities against Day to Day Imports Inc. and Virgin Scent Inc. dba ArtNaturals for failing to obtain permit coverage for discharges from the facility. An amended Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0217-A1 was issued on November 9, 2022. Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R4-2022-0217-A1 was rescinded without prejudice on June 20, 2023.
On December 9, 2021, the Los Angeles Water Board issued Investigative Order No. R4-2021-0140 and Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R4-2021-0141 to warehouse owner Liberty Property Limited Partnership and operator Day to Day Imports Inc. to fully understand the extent and impact of discharges of pollutants from the warehouse fire, cleanup the post-fire debris and implement best management practices to prevent any stormwater from leaving the facility.
Media Advisory
On February 7, 2022, the Los Angeles Water Board issued a Notice of Violation to Day to Day Imports Inc., Virgin Scent Inc. dba ArtNaturals, Liberty Property Limited Partnership, and/or Prologis, Inc. for an unauthorized discharge, failure to comply with Investigative Order No. R4-2021-0140 and Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R4-2021-0141, and failure to obtain permit coverage for discharges from the facility.
On November 15, 2021, the Los Angeles Water Board issued Investigative Order No. R4-2021-0133 to Equilon Enterprises LLC dba Shell Oil Products US (Shell) to investigate whether Shell’s operations at the Shell Carson Terminal resulted in a discharge of waste that caused or contributed to the hydrogen sulfide odors in the Dominguez Channel Estuary.
On November 3, 2021, the Los Angeles Water Board issued Investigative Order No. R4-2021-0132 to the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Carson (MS4 Permittees) requiring monitoring and reporting related to the investigation of the hydrogen sulfide odors in the Dominguez Channel Estuary. The investigation order was subsequently amended on November 24, 2021.
To obtain documents listed above or for additional questions, please contact Russ Colby, Compliance and Enforcement Section Manager, Russ.Colby@waterboards.ca.gov.
