Gas Smell in Santa Fe Springs Poses No Health Risk: Police

Officials deemed the foul odor as non-toxic, but it could be smelled from miles away

A foul, petroleum-like odor was reported in Santa Fe Springs Tuesday morning, but officials said the smell should be of no concern to area residents.

Police first received calls about the odor over the weekend, which may be coming from a water waste treatment tank at a now-defunct refinery on Bloomfield and Florence avenues, said Lt. Tatman of the Whittier Police Department.

NBC4 received complaints of the smell from residents as far as La Habra -- about 9 miles from the plant -- and from Whittier and La Mirada, about 6 miles away.

The Santa Fe Springs Fire Department, a HazMat team and an environmental team evaluated the odor and determined it is non-toxic and poses no health risk, Tatman said.

Officials from the South Coast Air Quality Management District are expected to assess the smell in the next few days to determine how to remove it, police said.

Also clouding the air in Santa Fe Springs was Ridgeline Energy Services USA, a wastewater treatment facility that prompted more than 100 complaints of a stinky smell.

Ridgeline was cited Monday for a foul odor that was drifting out of yet another wastewater storage tank, but this citation was for an offensive stench rather than for a gas-like smell.

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Located on Lakeland Road in Santa Fe Springs, Ridgeline has already been cited three times for the offensive smell by the AQMD.

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