Lead, asbestos found in homes after fire cleanup

In a sample of still-standing homes within the area the Eaton fire’s ash settled, more than half had significant lead contamination even after extensive indoor remediation efforts, according to new findings from the grassroots advocacy group Eaton Fire Residents United. Additionally, a third of remediated homes tested positive for asbestos.

- BY NOAH HAGGERTY

CARLIN STIEHL Los Angeles Times WORKERS clean up contaminated possessions and surfaces early last month at a family's home in Altadena.

The results released last week from 50 homes within and downwind of the Eaton burn area provide the first widespread evidence that the remediation techniques pushed by insurance companies and public health officials have not sufficiently removed contaminants deposited by the fire.

Long-term exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing mesothelioma and other cancers, and long-term exposure to lead can cause permanent brain damage, especially in children, that leads to developmental delays and behavioral problems. No level of exposure to lead and asbestos comes without risks of adverse health effects.

“This is a community-wide problem,” said Nicole Maccalla, who leads EFRU’s data science. “It doesn’t matter what remediation you're using, one pass is not establishing clearance based on the data that we have, which means that it is not yet safe to return to your home.”

That's an issue given that many residents who have been staying elsewhere are returning home especially those whose insurance money for temporary housing is running dry. EFRU leaders are encouraging residents to test their homes after remediation work, and, if the results show contamination, to keep remediating and testing until the lab results come back clean.

EFRU born in January out of a frustration that no level of government was adequately addressing Altadena residents’ environmental health concerns started by asking owners of standing homes to share the results of testing they had commissioned from professional labs both before and after remediation.