Several streets in downtown Los Angeles are often lined with rotting food and produce that was illegally dumped, an issue that locals say has been ongoing for years.
The dumping typically occurs near the Wholesale Produce District along several streets including Naomi Avenue, Hemlock Street and Central Avenue.
Large piles of rotting fruits and vegetables are dumped onto the sidewalk, attracting roaches, rats, flies and more. Neighbors say the putrid odor is inescapable.
During the daytime, some people are seen picking through the produce for anything edible.
Local business owner Victor Pena said that although the city’s sanitation department clears out some of the produce on garbage day, the rotten food would pile back up again the next week. Some of the discarded items also included random objects such as furniture, clothing, crates and more.
The industrial area around Naomi Avenue is home to several produce distributors and markets, and some residents believe that trucks delivering produce have made the street an unofficial dumping ground for produce that is too old or spoiled to sell, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“It’s basically most of the people who stay around here that don’t want to pay for trash cans, so they come and illegally dump that there in the middle of the night,” Pena told KTLA’s Ellina Abovian.
Neighbors said they’ve complained about and reported the dumping to local officials, but little has been done to rectify the chronic issue.
District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who oversees the area, released a statement saying, “Our office is aware of the ongoing dumping and has been working closely with LASAN on clean-ups. This site was cleared again on Tuesday morning. We will continue to monitor the area and coordinate with LASAN on regular clean-ups and long-term solutions.”
Mayor Karen Bass’ office said, “Many tons of illegally dumped food waste are being removed by LA Sanitation. We convened City departments earlier today to develop a responsive strategy for this area. LAPD is stepping up its patrols in the immediate term and more actions will be coming. These are not victimless crimes as they create unsanitary conditions and blight. Report illegal dumping to 311.”
Pena and many others said the issue is not only a health and safety hazard to locals, but is also a poor reflection of the city of L.A. Residents believe the issue will only get worse if left without a permanent solution.
“At the end of the day, it’s our city, it’s our town, so we must take care of downtown,” Pena said. “Downtown L.A. is a place where many people from different states, different countries, come to enjoy what we have here.”
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