Senator: 'Prompt Action' Needed to Determine Reason for Sickening Smell in Mecca

Eds: Kate Gilman, spokeswoman for Boxer, can be reached at (202) 224- 8832; the EPA's southwest regional office is at (415) 947-8000.

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., wants federal regulators to act swiftly to protect Mecca residents from ''horrendous odors'' that have sickened people and led to disruptions at a school in the Coachella Valley community.

In a letter sent Thursday to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Boxer stated that a solution was long overdue and expressed hope that the EPA would step up its ongoing investigation.

''Hundreds of ar...