Eaton fire cleanup left toxic soil behind

Unsafe lead levels found in yards even after Army Corps work

- NOAH HAGGERTY

THE LEAD in Altadena's soil is thought to come from burned lead paint, which can damage the brain.

The Eaton fire left significant levels of lead in Altadena's soil, according to a final report on soil testing from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hauled away debris and soil from destroyed properties, but that did not completely remove the contamination, the report, released Friday, found.

Meanwhile, homeowners whose homes are still standing, or partially damaged, both within and outside the burn scar, also face significant contamination.

Most experts think the lead in the soil comes from incinerated lead paint that coated most homes built before the paint was banned in 1978. The findings are important because lead can permanently damage the brain, leading to developmental and behavioral issues in kids.

Lead was the only contaminant found in most of the testing. But in Pacific Palisades, the county also noted one cadmium and thallium hot spot and arsenic, a carcinogen, in another location.

"We want people to be paying attention to this in their rebuild process, so that they are reducing any potential risk there," said Dr. Nichole Quick, chief medical advisor for the Department of Public they're in a more high-risk situation, they may want to be taking additional precautions." Health.

"And if The county hired environmental consulting firm Roux Associates to test the soil for a wide range of potential post-fire contaminants, including heavy metals and potentially hazardous organic compounds that form when things don't burn completely.

In looking at destroyed homes in Altadena that the Army Corps had not yet cleaned, Roux found that 45% of properties had higher levels of lead than the state has historically deemed safe for residential areas.