The Sriracha hot sauce production plant has been deemed a public nuisance after The Irwindale City Council in California voted 4-0 at a hearing Wednesday night The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
"The City Council is determined to assert its authority regardless of the status of the odor remediation efforts," John Tate an attorney for Sriracha told The Times.
One hundred people flocked to the hearing which occurred several months before a trial starts in November regarding a lawsuit Irwindale filed against maker of the hot sauce Huy Fong Foods in Los Angeles Superior Court reportedly stating that Sriracha broke guidelines of the development agreement it was under and made a public nuisance The Times reported.
"I ask that the city of Irwindale reject this inflammatory and unnecessary public nuisance designation and constructively work with Huy Fong Foods to resolve these issues," state Sen. Ed Hernandez said in a statement The Times reported.
According to The Times, The Irwindale Council also attempted to institute a second public nuisance guideline allowing them to implement the new rules if the company does not put them in on their own.
The city received 30 complaints from residents about stinging in their eyes and throats, and some headache. Therefore, Irwindale city officials requested a judge shut down the plant, which made uncooked material for its hot sauce product three months out of the year, is currently harvesting chile peppers. A ruling on the order is expected last month.
South Coast Air Quality Management staff have carried out tests at the plant, and lent their hand in assisting the company come up with a mitigation plan to help alleviate the issue The Times reported.
One way would be to install carbon filters, which the company has utilized in previous instances The Times reported.
