Sriracha Staying Put In Southern California After Public Nuisance Lawsuit Dropped

IRWINDALE (CBS SF) — The fiery fight between hot sauce maker Sriracha and the Southern California town of Irwindale is finally over.

The city council voted to drop a public nuisance lawsuit against the company.

People living near the factory complained spicy odors burned their throats and eyes.

Sriracha says it has taken steps to fix the issue.

On April 9,  the Irwindale City Council gave the factory 90 days to make changes to stop the spicy odors that prompted complaints from some residents last fall. Declaring a public nuisance will allow city officials to enter the factory and make changes if the odors persist after the deadline.

The decision came despite testimony by air-quality experts that progress was being made toward a resolution. The South Coast Air Quality Management District said its inspectors have taken air samples inside the plant, and believed the information gathered should allow the factory and the city to resolve their differences.

The flap over the popular hot sauce led to numerous solicitations for the plant to relocate elsewhere in California or to other states.