A Carson wellness/beauty products company and three of its executives were placed on two years probation Friday for the improper disposal of hazardous materials during a 2021 warehouse fire that led to a months-long noxious stench that impacted neighborhoods surrounding the Dominguez Channel.
Virgin Scent and company executives Yaakov Nourollah, 40, Akiva Nourollah, 37, and Yehuda Nourolla, 38, all pleaded no contest to a felony count of disposal of hazardous materials and misdemeanor counts of reckless storage of hazardous materials, unlawfully depositing hazardous materials, violating the Clean Water Act and failing to report the discharge of hazardous materials, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
In addition to two years probation, each defendant was ordered to complete 75 hours of community labor and pay restitution that will determined at a later hearing. The sentence also includes a one-year suspended jail sentence that will be waived if the defendants successfully complete the other terms of their probation.
The case stemmed from a Sept. 30, 2021, fire at the company’s Carson warehouse in the 16300 block of South Avalon Boulevard in Carson. Virgin Scent was a tenant at the warehouse. According to prosecutors, large quantities of alcohol-based hand sanitizer were improperly stored at the warehouse and sparked the fire, after which the defendants pumped the remaining sanitizer into the municipal storm drain, flowing into the Dominguez Channel.
The dumping led to a noxious, rotting-egg-like stench emanating from the channel that impacted thousands of residents in areas including Carson, Gardena. Torrance, Redondo Beach, Wilmington and Long Beach for months. Many residents complained of headaches, burning eyes, nausea and other discomfort from the odor.
“Businesses that handle hazardous materials have a legal and societal obligation to protect our communities and our environment,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. “These defendants failed in that responsibility before, during and after this devastating fire. Their actions endangered first responders, harmed the environment and impacted thousands of nearby residents. They have now suffered the criminal consequences for their illegal actions, which should serve as a deterrent to other companies and corporate executives of the penalties they may face if they choose profits over following laws designed to protect the environment and their communities.