For nine months, the Los Angeles suburb of Irwindale has been locked in a contentious dispute with its most famous resident, the Sriracha chili-sauce factory and its founder, Huy Fong Foods CEO David Tran. In October, Irwindale filed suit against Huy Fong Foods after residents complained that fumes from pepper-crushing at the plant were leaking out and burning their eyes and throats, forcing them to stay indoors. In April, the City Council declared the Sriracha plant a public nuisance and gave it three months to tamp down the pungent odors.
That's when things really got hot, with Tran comparing the city government to communist Vietnam and other states (notably Texas) swooping in to woo Huy Fong away from Irwindale. Things started cooling down on Tuesday, when city officials toured the Sriracha plant, with encouragement from Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) office. On Wednesday night, the Irwindale City Council voted unanimously to drop its lawsuit and the public nuisance declaration.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Who were the ‘weekend snipers’ of Sarajevo?Under the Radar Italian authorities launch investigation into allegations far-right gun enthusiasts paid to travel to Bosnian capital and shoot civilians ‘for fun’ during the four-year siege
-
A free speech debate is raging over sign language at the White HouseTalking Points The administration has been accused of excluding deaf Americans from press briefings
-
Glinda vs. Elphaba, Jennifer Lawrence vs. postpartum depression and wilderness vs. progress in November moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Wicked: For Good,’ ‘Die My Love’ and ‘Train Dreams’
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
