City of Carson battles lingering stench from Dominguez Channel

Around where the I-110 and the I-405 meet - things smell a little different. A stench has been hanging in the air in the community Carson for about a month now. People say it’s so bad it’s been making them sick. And many have waited too long now for relief. Sydney Charles talks with those directly affected by the pollution in Carson.

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The stench has been an ongoing issue since the beginning of October when items from Art-Naturals, a Gardena-based beauty supply company, leaked into the Dominguez Channel during a warehouse fire. The noxious fumes were created by the combination of products, decaying vegetation and marine life.

Although Los Angeles County Health public health officials have voiced that the fumes are not “imminently dangerous,” Carson residents have reported headaches, dizziness, and other ailments because of the odor. Local college student Keiji Shiraki is affected every day on his drive to school.

SHIRAKI: “It smells like dead animals, dead bodies, it’s honestly terrible. Whenever I drive to school, I have to cover my nose. It’s terrible. Sometimes I get dizzy, I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had a couple of times where I’m like oh, I feel lightheaded driving there.”

The Los Angeles County Public Works Department has tried to fight the fumes with a biodegradable odor neutralizer called Epoleon. In addition to this, county public health officials have advised residents to keep all doors and windows closed, contact air conditioning specialists about upgrading filters, and avoid outdoor activities between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.

But according to resident Cathy Williams, these efforts are not nearly enough.

CATHY WILLIAMS: “I feel like I’m paying a mortgage. I shouldn’t have to leave my house to get relief, someone, the county, the state, should be out there working 24/7 to get this resolved. This isn’t a 9-5 job for them, or it shouldn’t be, because it’s not a 9 to 5 feel for us that live in it.” (Maybe blend her quote about doors and windows if I have time.”

A Carson resident for more than 35 years, Williams can vividly remember the first time a whiff of the overpowering odor overtook her.

“Me and my daughter were going to go get donuts one early morning, and we opened the front door and the smell of just rotten sewage, rotten eggs, just anything you could think of rotten just immediately rushed us. We wind up not even going to get my donuts because I became so nauseous, headachy. My stomach started just churning, my ears and nose and eyes were burning, and it was an immediate reflex.”

Williams is also a breast cancer survivor and is sensitive to smells.

“This really knocked me out, sorta reminded me of chemo, which was horrible, because the smell was so intense. "

The issue does not only affect Carson. The odor is now reported to be spreading throughout neighboring communities, including Gardena, Torrance, Redondo Beach and more.

But for those living and commuting to and from Carson, enough is enough and they’re hoping to find answers soon.