The THUMS oil islands offshore of Long Beach, one of which is picture here, were found to be in compliance by the Air Quality Management District as it went looking for the source of the rotten-egg odor that periodically plagues the coast. Photo by Chris Carlson/Associated Press.
By MARTIN WISCKOL | Orange County Register
More than 400 complaints about a rotten-egg smell poured into the Air Quality Management District from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, with most calls coming from a stretch of coast from Newport Beach to Redondo Beach.
The mysterious odor has intermittently plagued the coast for years, with AQMD doggedly investigating its origin. The agency has yet to definitively identify the source, although air samples indicate it may be related to offshore petroleum rigs, tankers or other oil operations.
Experts says it’s unlikely to pose a long-term health risk, but it continues to annoy residents and visitors with no end in sight.
“It’s a documented problem,” said Joseph Lyou, president of the Coalition for Clean Air and an AQMD board member. “This odor has been very frustrating for AQMD.”