Mystery blob eating downtown
`Los Angeles officials were still scratching their heads today over what caused a mysterious black goo to burble from streets downtown, forcing the evacuation hundreds of apartment dwellers.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said investigators had yet to identify the “black tarry substance” more than 24 hours after it erupted at Olive Street and Pico Boulevard.
But he said there might be “a correlation” with a petroleum company drilling operation nearby.
“The samples we have taken _ this was determined to be (a) nontoxin, nonflammable, nonhazard,” said fire Capt. Ernie Bobadilla. “We’re looking to I.D. the scope of the problem.
“This problem is not a simple fix.”‘
