The Fed will not test soil after wildfires are cleaned, potentially leaving pollutants behind

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday it will not test soils on properties damaged by a damaged Eaton and Palisade fire after being cleaned by a private federal contractor – breaching long-standing safeguards to ensure no lingering contaminants are left behind . After the wildfire.

Federal and state agencies call for soil samples to be collected and analyzed in staff-cleaned homes and schools after nearly all major wildfires in California over the past two decades.

The process, known as confirmation sampling, is designed to verify that these properties are no longer toxic chemicals, once the toxic ash and rubble are removed, and up to six inches of topsoil are removed from the state's cleanup standards.

But now, after the most expensive wildfires in the state’s history, Army officials say digging six inches of surface soil is enough to get rid of dangerously contaminated fires.

At a press conference Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles, Army Corps Colonel Eric Swenson said the decision was made by saying soil sampling was not authorized in such a disaster response.

“When the state makes a request for direct federal aid… they make [the Federal Emergency Management Agency],” Svenson said. “We are brought to a specific range. So these are the limitations we can do in this disaster. ”

He added that the Army Corps was told “this is our instructions and guidelines and we must stick to them.”

FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Los Angeles County officials were surprised by the Army's decision.

“We’re going to sit down and talk about that because it’s a problem,” said Kathryn Barger, president of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “We don’t want to discount. … So we have to regroup and figure that out.”

The move could shift the burden to homeowners, businesses and school districts for testing costs and potentially arrange for removal of more contaminated soil. According to wildfire experts, contaminated soil should be removed under California policy until the characteristics affected by the wildfire are restricted by state contaminated.

“If they are unwilling to do confirmatory sampling, tell us they are willing to contaminate the property.” California Community Executive Director objected to the poison. “They are willing to put people in danger.”

Federal cleaners remove debris from a house on West Palm Street in Altadena.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Earlier this week, Svenson told reporters that removing six inches of topsoil “is acceptable debris to ensure we get any dangers that are subject to the fire that could fall on topsoil.”

However, such assertions seem to contradict previous analyses, which even exhibit dangerous chemical levels even when federal cleaners cleared a layer of topsoil.

During a 2018 camp fire that destroyed Paradise Town, Butte County, Northern California, Pasadena-based consulting firm Tetra Tech was hired to test soil on nearly 1,200 properties after cleaning up the 2018 camp fire, after cleaning staff completed six Inches of topsoil. About one-third of properties (more than 4,200) still have toxic chemicals that exceed the state’s cleanup standards, including brain damage lead and arsenic that causes cancer.

Given the soil testing, workers returned to these properties (in one case, up to five times) to dig out more contaminated soil to meet California's cleanup standards.

Without soil testing, the Army will not perform additional soil removal in the Eaton and Palisade Fire Zones.

“Many cleanup standards are designed to protect people’s health,” said Jill Johnston, associate professor at the University of Southern California (USC). “Thinking specifically about vulnerable groups – older people, our young children and suffering from chronic diseases.” People with disease – We usually know that heavy metals are in trouble with ash and soil. They won't dissolve or disappear easily.”

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer called the lack of line-by-line property testing “legitimate concern.” However, she noted that the county is working with federal, state and academic institutions to better understand the toxic substances contained in ash.

So far, more than 7,300 owners have filled out forms to inform public officials about how to clean up dangerous ashes and rubble. According to Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, “nearly 99%” chose the Army to withdraw from debris and contaminate soil instead of private contractors.

The Army began monitoring federal cleanup crews this week to clean up debris from homes in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.

Workers operate excavators to pull large objects and hybrid metals from the construction foundation and throw debris into freight containers. The crew wearing dangerous goods shoveled the ashes of ashes into plastic garbage bags.

They are then ready to remove six inches of soil to get rid of dangerous heavy metal property, which could pose a risk to returning residents.

This soil testing method is one of the key procedures set out in the California Wildfire Cleanup Program. In neighboring Ventura County, staff are expected to test the little-known mountain fire that broke out in November, destroying about 200 buildings.

Just a month after Los Angeles County wildfire cleaning, there have been several problems, including the pace of breakthroughs in removing hazardous materials and removing debris. Governor Gavin Newsom, who visited the fire community, touted it as the fastest debris operation for major fires in modern state history.

Also in a press conference Wednesday, Los Angeles County officials praised the federal efforts to speed up the pace of cleanup. Mark Pestreella, the county’s director of public works, announced that residents can begin submitting redevelopment permits.

“We do business,” he said.