More on suspicious smell

Dear Editor:This is regarding the funny smell in the air within the southwest area of Downey ("Suspicious Odor Remains a Mystery," 2/13/09). I believe the odor is coming from 9419 Garfield Ave., in the city of South Gate. This location is the home of a roofing material manufacturer that uses petroleum or asphalt-based products. If you've been around a roofing company that is installing an asphalt roof, the smell is very similar to what we smell in our air. Furthermore, if you ever shopped at the South Gate Target, you will notice the smell is 10 times stronger than in the Downey area. If you try to trace the smell, it looks like it is coming from that roofing material manufacturing plant. I hope this helps your search for the "mystery smell." - Daniel Sosa, South Gate Dear Editor: In last week's Letters to the Editor, I brought to your attention the toxic odors which are affecting our neighborhood bordering west of Old River School Road, north of Imperial Highway, and south of Firestone Boulevard. I included an e-mail address so that readers can provide any information or health concerns they may have. The e-mail that was printed last week is not working. Please use: cleantheair@hotmail.com. Additionally, there is a meeting scheduled March 4 that I will be attending with Mark Sauter (emergency preparedness), Fire Chief Brad Turner, and representatives from the Air Quality Management District and the Southern California Gas Company. I will continue to update the community. - Tricia Zelambo, Downey ********** Published: February 27, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 45