Overview
- The EPA will randomly select 100 of roughly 5,600 burned properties for soil testing, with samples taken near the surface and about six inches deep.
- Each lot will yield a composite of about 30 subsamples, a method experts say can dilute high readings and cannot determine if properties are safe to rebuild.
- Sampling is expected to begin next week, and the EPA plans to publish results in April and share them with homeowners and local and state agencies.
- FEMA had declined to fund testing for nearly a year as the Army Corps said removals were sufficient, even as federal inspector reports documented protocol deviations during cleanup.
- The Army Corps says logged deficiencies were corrected, while separate county and UCLA tests found elevated contaminants at some cleared sites and Pasadena reported levels below state and federal limits; the EPA has not committed to further soil removal if standards are exceeded.