Public Hearing On Strange Odor In Mecca Planned For Tonight
A public meeting will be held tonight to discuss two recent instances of people being overwhelmed by a noxious odor at Saul Martinez Elementary School in Mecca.
Representatives from the state Environmental Protection Agency, Riverside County Department of Environmental Health and the South Coast Air Quality Management District will be on hand to discuss the problem at a 6 p.m. meeting at the school sponsored by Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit’s 4th district office, according to Benoit aide Darin Schemmer.
The problem is believed to stem from a toxic soils treatment plant that sits two miles northwest of the school, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
On Jan. 6, paramedics sent to the elementary school at 65705 Johnston Street checked out nine people sickened by the smell, which some likened to the rotten-egg smell added to natural gas.
A similar problem occurred Dec. 12, when two people were taken to hospitals and a dozens others treated by paramedics.
The speakers set to attend the hearing work for agencies that manage recycling and agricultural operations nearby, Schemmer said. He urged anyone who notices unusual odors to call (800) 288-7664.
