Historic Core Booms with Generator Tests
Tricia Portelli
Smoke pours out of a generator exhaust at 600 S. Spring on Saturday.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Pedestrians went scurrying minutes ago as a trio of booms accompanied black smoke in billowing from a generator exhaust in SB Tower at 600 S. Spring. The smoke has been a regular occurrence in recent days, but the booms were a new feature to Monday and brought out a truck from LAFD.
The 14-story SB Tower is slated to open as residential rental units in the upcoming months. The 1960 structure was once the headquarters of California Bank.
El Dabe Sherif on March 15, 2010, at 05:15PM – #1
That doesn't look right. Something is wrong there. That looks pretty dangerous. Maybe it should be fixed ASAP.
Los Angeles Injury Accident Lawyer
Robyn on March 15, 2010, at 05:33PM – #2
Ya - that'd scare me.
Rich Jesmer on March 15, 2010, at 05:46PM – #3
I'd pay to be there the first...and 2nd...and 3rd time this disrupts a film shoot :)
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on March 15, 2010, at 06:11PM – #4
Rich: Right now! I think CSI:NY actually called the fire department.
Gina Guerrero on March 15, 2010, at 06:30PM – #5
I was just asking a neighbor today if this particular generator exhaust cleaning process is legal, and what we can do as a community to stop it; neither of us could think of the proper route to take, so I came up with a witty and passively aggressive slogan, instead...
"The Spring Tower: DTLA's architectural & environmental blunder."
Rich Jesmer on March 15, 2010, at 07:16PM – #6
Eric: That's just all kinds of AWESOME.
Guest on March 15, 2010, at 11:14PM – #7
Another really cheap building by Barry Shy. Oh great!
K Parsons on March 16, 2010, at 03:55AM – #8
So I guess Barry's not so shy after all. Man I'd be ticked if I had been walking under that mess!
Nancy Richardson (@nanorich) on March 16, 2010, at 06:20AM – #9
There is something about the infrastructure of Barry's buildings...and some really cool surprises...
like the pumper parked in front of the Bartlet for weeks after the emergency pumping system broke down...and nearly bankrupted the HOA....
Guest on March 16, 2010, at 08:59AM – #10
Be careful what you say or you will get a subpoena.
Guest on March 16, 2010, at 03:39PM – #11
Gina- I think there is an agency you can report things like this to: the Air Quality Management District. Air polluters can get serious fines. http://www.aqmd.gov/complain/report_dust_odors.html
David McBane on March 17, 2010, at 12:19AM – #12
Well, we can see that the Smoke Monster does make it off the island. Haha.
Back to reality - I'm pretty sure that these generators are emergency generators and since they are supposed to only be used in an emergency, they are exempt from air quality rules.
Also, I've seen other tests of generators at other buildings and they almost always generate the same dark smoke. I think it is just because these buildings are older and have older emergency generators.
Rich Jesmer on March 19, 2010, at 04:37PM – #13
I guess it just went off again? I can understand periodic test...but every few days? Roomie sent me a pic that I uploaded to the photo pool. The fire department must love all the phone calls.