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Paul M. Cook Paul M. Cook is offline
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Default Irwindale declares Sriracha hot sauce factory a public nuisance

This is looking more like harassment every day.

They aren't even in production mode now. And apparently the majority of
complaints comes from 4 people.


"Travis McGee" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> The San Gabriel Valley Tribune (http://www.sgvtribune.com)
> Irwindale declares Sriracha hot sauce factory a public nuisance
>
> By Sarah Favot, Pasadena Star-News
>
> Wednesday, April 9, 2014
>
> IRWINDALE >> The popular Sriracha hot sauce found itself in hot water
> Wednesday night when the City Council unanimously declared the factory
> that produces the sauce a public nuisance.
>
> After giving Huy Fong Foods six weeks to work with the South Coast Air
> Quality Management District to conduct testing at the factory, the City
> Council determined the odor coming from the factory has created a problem
> for residents. The council also determined the Sriracha factory breached
> its contract with the city.
>
> The Council is expected to give Huy Fong Foods 90 days to address the odor
> problems before city officials enter the factory to fix the problems
> themselves.
>
> Stephen Onstot, an attorney for the city, said it would require another
> City Council vote to enforce the public nuisance order.
>
> The council heard testimony at a Feb. 26 public hearing from several
> residents who complained about the strong chili odors coming from the
> factory and more than a dozen factory employees who implored the council
> to keep the factory open.
>
> The public hearing continued Wednesday night with little fanfare. Neither
> factory employees, who wore red T-shirts and protested the last hearing,
> nor CEO David Tran attended the meeting.
>
> “We’re disappointed,” said Huy Fong’s attorney, John Tate. “We had been
> led to believe we were providing the city what it wanted.”
>
> Tate disputed the council’s finding that there was enough evidence that
> showed the odors created a public nuisance.
>
> “They seemed to be in a hurry to find a violation, when the evidence last
> time we were here showed about 12 people from the entire city having a
> complaint. It seemed to be to be a bit heavy handed,” Tate said.
>
> Councilman H. Manuel Ortiz abstained from the discussion and vote because
> he lives near the factory.
>
> “We worked hand-in-hand with Huy Fong Foods,” said Councilman Albert
> Ambriz. “I still feel there’s enough verbal and documentary evidence to
> constitute this as a public nuisance.”
>
> New testimony came from two local politicians pledging support for Huy
> Fong Foods.
>
> “I ask that the City of Irwindale reject this inflammatory and unnecessary
> public nuisance designation and work constructively with Huy Fong Foods to
> resolve these issues,” a statement from state Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West
> Covina, said. “If not, I’m certain there are a number of cities right here
> in the San Gabriel Valley who would be happy to have a business like Huy
> Fong Foods in their community.”
>
> Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina, said in a statement he was
> concerned about the effect the factory’s closure would have on the San
> Gabriel Valley economy and the entire state.
>
> Before the vote, Tate told the council Huy Fong Foods would prepare a
> timeline to mitigate the odors emanating from the factory within 10 days.
>
> He said he believed the company would be able to fix the odor problem on
> or before June 1. The chili grinding season, which residents say creates
> the strongest odors, begins in late August.
>
> An attorney for the city said the public nuisance order would not need to
> be enforced if Huy Fong fixed the problem before June 1.
>
> Mohsen Nazemi, AQMD deputy executive director, said AQMD inspectors have
> taken air samples inside the plant in the last few weeks while factory
> workers have been mixing the hot sauce. He said a carbon filtration system
> should alleviate the odors.
>
> Councilman Julian Miranda asked if that filtration system would work
> during the grinding season.
>
> “We think that a similar type of technology can be used,” said Nazemi.
> “Because they are not doing any grinding, we didn’t have the opportunity
> to measure what type of pollutants are coming off. We believe it might be
> similar to mixing operation.”
>
> A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered Huy Fong Foods in
> November to halt any operations that created the smell and immediately
> make changes to mitigate the smell after the city filed a lawsuit against
> the company. The chili grinding season was already completed by the time
> the judge issued his order, according to Huy Fong’s attorney.
>
> Huy Fong officials said it has installed filters on the roof of the
> factory, but is working with AQMD to find long-term solutions.
>
> City officials said the complaints continued. Data provided by AQMD showed
> that the majority of complaints about a smell coming from the Sriracha
> factory came from four households in the city of about 1,400 residents.
> The AQMD had a total of 61 complaints.
>
> URL:
> http://www.sgvtribune.com/environmen...ublic-nuisance
>
> © 2014 The San Gabriel Valley Tribune (http://www.sgvtribune.com)




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