CARSON, Calif. (KNX) — One month since a foul odor began to plague the city of Carson, the thousands of residents who were relocated to hotels by Los Angeles officials are being told it’s now safe to return home.
But those who live there say — the discomfort brought on by the hydrogen sulfide gas is still prevalent enough to make living at home unhealthy, and they don’t know whether to trust that the effects of the gas won’t cause long-term health issues.
“I’m not ready to go back,” Gabriel Reyes said, explaining that he, his wife and their five children have been living at a Long Beach hotel since mid-october. He told the Long Beach Post that his family plans to stay there until at least Nov. 19.
Reyes' story is just one of the thousands that have come out since the odor began in early October.
More than 4,000 people have called the South Coast AQMD since then to report the foul odor in Carson and surrounding cities - with many people saying they’re experiencing headaches, nausea and vomiting.
L.A. County officials ultimately determined that the rotten-egg-like smell was being caused by hydrogen sulfide gas emanating from a portion of the Dominguez Channel in Carson, due to a severe lack of oxygen in the water.
For the last month they’ve been footing the bill for hotel rooms to relocate residents and reimbursing families who chose to stay and update their homes with HVAC HEPA filters.
On Wednesday, they updated the public, saying the gas’ presence is now so low that it’s safe to return home.
“The air quality in relation to hydrogen sulfide levels has improved significantly,” County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis, the head of public works, said.
But residents like Reyes said the numbers don’t change the experience. Though he has not been living at his home, Reyes told the Long Beach Post that he periodically visits — and when he returns to his hotel he continues to feel the effects of the gas.
Mark Pestrella, the director of L.A. County Public Works, said the county will continue to support those who wish to stay in hotels, and said the county continues to spray 13,000 gallons of an odor neutralizing solution into the channel to minimize the stench and convert the gas into a non-toxic salt.
As the issue continues, residents are asked to do the following:
Report odor: Continue to report to South Coast AQMD at 1-800-288-7664.
Questions: Call the Public Health Community line at 626-430-9821 or call “211.”
Report health issues: Call 626-430-9821 and leave a message with your contact information.
Reimbursement: You can still get reimbursed for central HVAC HEPA filters with activated charcoal, obtain or get reimbursed for portable HEPA air purifiers with activated carbon and get reimbursement for temporary relocation costs for County Public Works by going to https://lacounty.gov/emergency or by filling out a reimbursement request here.
To visit the county's page with all of the information regarding the Dominguez Channel incident, click here. For the latest from the city of Carson, click here.
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