Piles of rotting fruits and vegetables dumped on a downtown Los Angeles street were cleared out by crews overnight for a second time this week in another case of illegal dumping that has plagued the area for years.
The produce and other discarded items were left alongside the wall of a graffiti-covered building Wednesday near East 10th Street and Naomi Avenue, just southwest of Olympic Boulevard. Several produce businesses are located in the area on the southern edge of downtown Los Angeles.
Video from NewsChopper4 Wednesday afternoon showed trash and produce stretching for about a block next to the building. Rats could be seen climbing in the piled up food, wooden pallets and debris.
Overnight, crews with front-end loaders and other equipment removed the waste, including parsley, onions, melons, tomatoes and other items, from the narrow street.
Councilmember Isabel Jurado said the same stretch of road was littered with produce and cleaned up Tuesday.
People who work nearby said the piles of food waste and other instances of illegal dumping have been ongoing for years.
“This is not a surprise to anyone who works down here,” said Estela Lopez, executive director for the Downtown Industrial Business Improvement District. “Fruits and vegetables are always dumped here. The only difference this week was the size and the scope of what got dumped.
“You’ve got to keep the trash off of our sidewalks. This is not just ugly to look at. This is a potential public health issue.”
Lopez said it’s not just produce. Furniture, construction materials and more have been discarded in the area, she said.
“And, it’s not just from the businesses in the area,” Lopez said.
The city urged people to report discarded food waste, which can create unsanitary conditions, to 311. The city’s sanitation department will continue to monitor the area.
“City crews will remove this illegally dumped food waste,” Mayor Karen Bass‘ office said. “These are not victimless crimes as they create unsanitary conditions and blight. Report illegal dumping to 311.”
A statement Thursday from the mayor’s 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.”
NBCLA reached out to LA Sanitation again Thursday about the clean-up process and what happens next.
In 2019, NBCLA reported on a mountain of trash in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District that resulted from month of illegal dumping. Frustrated business owners said the debris collected at a burned out commercial building on East Pico Boulevard, once a clothing showroom, and spilled out into an alley.
In 2023, NBCLA reported on mountains of trash that collected in several Los Angeles communities, including parts of West LA, South LA and the San Fernando Valley.