The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is holding a virtual meeting on Thursday, March 20 regarding toxic air in West Long Beach.
The two companies, Three Rivers Trucking and San Pedro Forklift, have been using a fumigant called methyl bromide for the past 28 years. Methyl bromide is a colorless, odorless pesticide that has harmful effects on people when breathed in for extended periods of time. The chemical was found in harmful amounts in West Long Beach.
Methyl bromide is banned internationally, but allowed in the U.S. with a permit. The Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office granted both companies authorization to use methyl bromide and is in charge of enforcement. The companies are located less than a mile from Hudson Elementary School and Hudson Park.
Long Beach residents have been asking local agencies to monitor their air for methyl bromide for decades. SCAQMD found the chemical in the air in 2018 and released its report to the public in 2021.
In 2023, community organizer Jesse Marquez led efforts to get the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to monitor the air once again. This eventually led to a community meeting on Jan. 30 to discuss their findings.
Representatives from multiple facilities, including the SCAQMD, CARB, the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment spoke to West Long Beach residents about the methyl bromide in the air.
At the end of the three hour meeting, residents were told to close their doors and windows to protect themselves from the toxins in the air.
The organizations at the meeting did not propose a plan to remove methyl bromide from the community. Instead, they said both companies agreed to lower the daily use of methyl bromide, and they will continue to monitor hourly.
Residents ended the meeting voicing their frustrations, calling the agency’s response a “weak plan of action.”
“We have an opportunity to do something about the pollution in West Long Beach, as a disproportionately affected community by pollution. Why should we accept anything less than that?” said a resident who identified himself as Ricardo said at the Jan. 30 meeting.
According to a flyer from the SCAQMD, this second meeting is to “discuss monitoring data and work by multiple agencies to address methyl bromide emissions,” outline next steps and answer questions. The audience will be allowed to participate during public comment period, according to the flyer.
The full recording from Jan. 30 and powerpoint slides from the meeting can be found on CARB’s website.
The March 20 virtual meeting will take place on Zoom at 6 p.m., and requires advanced registration. Residents can register at this link. Translation in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog will be provided.
