Millions of pounds of rotting food have finally been removed from burned warehouse in Boyle Heights

After grappling with rancid odors and missed deadlines, Boyle Heights residents may finally get some relief, with air quality regulators confirming Saturday that millions of pounds of decaying food have been cleared from the burned Lineage Logistics facility. South Coast Air Quality Management District said the company's removal of the food waste marked the completion of a major phase of the cleanup process that has dragged on for more than two months since the warehouse fire was extinguished in late June. The air quality regulator sent an enforcement team to inspect the site Saturday. Now, the clock starts on a seven-day process to remove other debris and power-wash and disinfect the cavernous freezer. The warehouse has two freezers, on the east and west sides of the building. Workers had cleared out and sanitized the eastern freezer, which was largely destroyed in the fire, earlier in the cleanup process.