CREMATORIUM ODOR REMAINS ISSUE; EMISSIONS PASS TESTS, BUT NEIGHBORS STILL UPSET.

Byline: Lee Condon Staff Writer

California air quality officials said Wednesday that emissions from a local crematorium do not violate state laws, but they will continue trying to get the operators to stop odor and smoke that have upset neighbors.

``The toxics analysis doesn't show anything that appears to be a (health) problem,'' said Bill Kelly, a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

District officials, however, are still attempting to secure an abatement order against the Grand View Memorial Park to force the cemetery to correct odor and smoke problems detected by investigators. The AQMD issued a violation notice to the cemetery last month after investigators smelled a foul odor and spotted smoke coming from the crematorium. While the emissions did not violate state law, the AQMD issued a violation notice because smell and smoke are considered a public nuisance.

The emissions test did not show any violations of state law, Kelly said, but investigators noticed a high level of hydrochloric acid, possibly from the plastic in which some bodies are wrapped when they are cremated.

Most of the bodies are delivered to a crematorium in boxes, Kelly said, but the county morgue sends unclaimed bodies of indigents in plastic.

Investigators are attempting to determine if burning plastic is causing odor.

An AQMD panel will hold a hearing at 9 a.m. Oct. 27 at AQMD offices, 21865 Copley Drive in Diamond Bar. Kelly said prosecutors hope to reach a stipulated settlement in which the cemetery owners would agree to correct the problems.

Marcia Howard, a Grand View vice president, said she knew the tests would show that emissions from the crematorium did not violate state law. Howard declined further comment on the odor and smoke problems.

Janet Chu, one of the neighbors who originally complained, said she and her family moved out of their rented home in the neighborhood two weeks ago. While they had been planning to move to Simi Valley, anyway, Chu said the odor issue made her speed up the move.

Chu said she and her neighbors have been complaining for more than a year about the odor. The neighbors expect Grand View to stay in business, but feel bitter that their complaints were ignored for so long, she said.

``It seems like there is no resolution. Someone needs to make them cease operations or comply,'' Chu said.