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Boyle Heights / East Los Angeles / Cold Storage Warehouse / Fire / Stormwater Runoff / Water Quality Testing

Council File 26-0906-S7

Approved — the city has ordered a full accounting of water contamination from the warehouse fire and remediation steps, and LASAN has already submitted its first report. The Ad Hoc Committee is now tracking progress through 2028.

Introduced
2026-08-04
Last changed
2026-09-11
Status
open
Expires
2028-09-11
Committee
Ad Hoc Committee for Boyle Heights Fire Recovery
Mover
YSABEL JURADO
Second
ADRIN NAZARIAN

Brief

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado moved this matter to examine the cold storage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, focusing on stormwater runoff and water quality testing in the affected area. Council adopted the motion unanimously on August 26, 2026. The Bureau of Sanitation submitted a report in September, and the matter is now pending in the Ad Hoc Committee for Boyle Heights Fire Recovery.

Full summary

On June 17, 2026, a fire broke out at a Lineage cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights — a 500,000-square-foot, heavily insulated structure that burned for eight days and required an extraordinary firefighting effort. To reach persistent hotspots, crews breached the building's insulation and used massive volumes of water, generating large quantities of runoff that entered the City's storm drain system. The central concern driving this motion is whether that contaminated water reached the Los Angeles River and other receiving waters, and what long-term environmental and public health risks may result. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado's motion directs the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) to deliver two specific reports. The first requires final results from water quality testing conducted on stormwater runoff tied to the fire, including identification of any contaminants detected, impacts to receiving waters, and recommendations for ongoing monitoring. The second requires a status update on the Cleanup and Abatement Order that LASAN requested from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, covering any approved remediation plan, implementation timeline, responsible agencies, and progress to date. The motion notes that Mayor Karen Bass had already issued two emergency executive orders directing LASAN's Watershed Protection Program to evaluate storm drain and river impacts and to seek the Cleanup and Abatement Order — but Jurado argues that transparent public reporting on findings and remediation progress is essential for community trust and accountability. The motion was referred to the Energy and Environment Committee on August 4, 2026, approved there on August 18, and adopted by the full Council unanimously 15-0 on August 26. On September 11, LASAN submitted its responsive document, which was referred to the Ad Hoc Committee for Boyle Heights Fire Recovery for continued oversight. That committee is now the active venue for monitoring implementation. The file remains open through September 2028.

Activity (8)

  • 2026-09-11 Bureau of Sanitation document(s) referred to Ad Hoc Committee for Boyle Heights Fire Recovery.
  • 2026-09-11 Document submitted by Bureau of Sanitation, dated September 11, 2026.
  • 2026-09-01 Council action final.
  • 2026-08-26 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-08-21 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 26, 2026.
  • 2026-08-18 Energy and Environment Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2026-08-14 Energy and Environment Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 18, 2026.
  • 2026-08-04 Motion referred to Energy and Environment Committee.

Documents (7)

Council votes (1)

  • 2026-08-26 Vote — 15-0-0 · Regular

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