By John Donegan
Apr 18, 2025
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Months after fear and confusion swirled over reports of high levels of a toxic fumigant in West Long Beach, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán is demanding improvement from the region’s environmental regulators.
In an April 14 letter penned to the leaders of four environmental agencies, Barragán asked for additional air monitors, health risk assessments and inspections on facilities that use methyl bromide, a colorless and odorless gas used to sterilize crops.
This comes after a series of town halls from December 2024 to March revealed high levels of the fumigant at two facilities in West Long Beach — AG Fume Service and San Pedro Forklift, also called SPF Logistics — that operate just hundreds of feet away from a neighborhood and Hudson Elementary School. Four more facilities in Compton and San Pedro also operate near homes and schools at even larger volumes than the Long Beach facilities.
One air monitor positioned near Hudson Elementary recorded an average concentration of 2.1 parts per billion (ppb) between January 2023 and April 2024 — more than double the threshold considered safe for long-term exposures. The monitor also detected several spikes in that period, including two instances where it rose just below the state limit for exposure.
Treasured by growers, the gas is a highly effective but controversial pesticide. Small doses can cause headaches, vomiting and dizziness, while breathing at least 1 ppb for a year or more could cause more serious neurological effects, such as difficulties with learning and memory.
Phased out internationally in 2005, California allows it in limited quantities for fumigating crops. The chemical has been used at the two West Long Beach facilities for 28 years.
Officials explained the facilities never fell out of good standing. Both sites — allowed to use 20,000 pounds of the pesticide per year — averaged less than 8,000 pounds annually.
“But something went wrong,” said Max Regis, the chief deputy at the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner’s office.
LACAC, which administers the permits to use methyl bromide, has since tightened regulations over how the two facilities use the chemical, from reducing the use from 1,000 to 200 pounds per day to not allowing the facilities to fumigate at the same time or during school hours.
The agency also required the facilities to keep their doors closed during fumigation, after at least one site was found leaving its doors open while spraying the gas. These rules took effect on Jan. 1.
When the numbers spike, air regulators with the California Air Resources Board and South Coast Air Quality Management District are supposed to notify people.
“But that never took place,” Regis said in a conversation in December.
Regis’ office, along with several city officials, the Long Beach Unified School District and even the office of Supervisor Janice Hahn said they were either never notified or told months after the fact. According to Regis, the agencies at the time did not notify the two facilities, a crucial step to start the process.
“AQMD or CARB never went to the facility and told them, hey, you have an exceedance,” Regis said. “So, how are they going to notify the community, how are they going to take any action if they’re not told?”
Barragán herself found out from constituents after one of the community meetings, an example of the complicated system that oversees these chemicals.
The use of methyl bromide, for example, goes through a web of six overlapping agencies, from permitting to monitoring, who she said often demonstrate poor in-house communication and fail to provide the public with clear and simple answers.
In her letter, Barragán asked for reports like health assessments and inspections to be made readily available on easy-to-use websites, noting the public lacks “an accurate and comprehensive understanding” of the chemical.
“The moment you learn about something that’s possibly toxic, it should be communicated to residents, both on a website with level readings and what the implications may be and what people can do, and that’s really not something that’s been done,” Barragán said.
Barragán also asked to hold a meeting with each of the agencies. As of Friday, her office has not received a formal response. The County Agricultural Commissioner’s office said the agencies are coordinating with the congresswoman to determine what steps to take.
Officials with SCAQMD previously said the levels were not high enough to trigger public notification.
A spokesperson with CARB told the Long Beach Post on Thursday they “recognize the concerns expressed in the letter and are working to support our partners at the South Coast Air Quality Management District as they monitor methyl bromide concentrations to measure and track the effectiveness of improvements facilities are making.”
Rep. Robert Garcia and Rep. Maxine Waters also signed on to Barragán’s letter.
Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication to show that Barragán’s office has not received a formal response but is in communication with the local regulatory bodies.
Link to article HERE