Feds declare Eaton fire was a cleanup success. Their testing shows otherwise

Federal officials describe the Eaton fire cleanup as successful, citing EPA soil testing that found most sampled areas near building footprints below lead screening levels. New EPA soil tests indicate that nearly one in five Altadena homes still exceed California’s residential lead standard. Some properties show lead levels approaching nine times the state limit, increasing resident concerns. Scientists and local officials say the EPA’s limited sampling approach may miss dangerous hot spots because it tested only one mixed soil sample for lead and did not test for other wildfire toxins. The EPA did not release its report publicly, and internal government reports have raised questions about cleanup thoroughness as rebuilding accelerates.

"Despite finding nearly 1 in 5 homes had excessive levels of lead, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week claimed that recent soil testing in Altadena proved that expedited federal cleanup efforts had effectively removed toxic ash and debris from homes destroyed by the deadly Eaton fire."

"Earlier this year, the EPA announced it would perform a limited soil sampling at 100 destroyed homes across the burn zone in order to verify that contractors had thoroughly mitigated toxic substances. In a recent news release, the EPA said that testing revealed median lead concentrations below federal standards, and "confirmed that cleanup methods successfully addressed contamination and verified cleanup protocols.""

"Scientists and local officials say the EPA's pared-down sampling - testing only one mixed soil sample for lead, not other wildfire toxins - may mask dangerous hot spots as rebuilding accelerates. The EPA soil sampling comes amid mounting pressure from residents and environmentalists who claim that a hasty federal cleanup effort had left behind or spread hazardous fire debris."

"The EPA did not release its report to the public, but it said 95 of 100 soil samples collected near the surface of the home's building footprint were below the federal lead screening level. "I think for the folks in Altadena who maybe had some concerns about the adequacy of the work that was performed by the federal government in removing ash and debris - I think they should feel confident that those areas of their property are safe to use now," said Mike Montgomery"

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