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Lead contamination is a threat to residents after the LA wildfires

Residents of LA are tested for lead poisoning following wildfires

Lead levels in samples exceed the state's acceptable limits

Who pays for soil remediation?

Rachel Parsons

Michelle, Darcy, and their children were rescued in the middle of the night by a wildfire northeast Los Angeles. They returned home to find that they still owned a house.

They and the thousands of residents who live near the burn scar from the Eaton Fire, whose homes have been spared, now face a new threat - elevated and invisible levels of lead that could be lethal.

Last week, the Fenwicks waited in line along with hundreds of others to get their blood lead tested at a mobile site set up by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Michelle Fenwick said that her main concern was lead poisoning. She is at a stage where she is putting everything into her mouth. Her husband Darcy, who held their five-year-old boy, also held the 18-month old.

The tests come after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA), in February refused follow-up soil analysis on properties that were destroyed and cleaned.

FEMA has also stated that it does not plan to test any intact property.

The county, however, announced in April that the soil samples it had ordered showed that a large percentage of the samples tested exceeded the state's accepted levels of lead. This was on land that was outside the Eaton Fire boundaries but adjacent.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead contamination can cause organ damage and neurotoxicity with prolonged exposure.

Experts say that the most common cause of lead buildup in children is hand-to-mouth transfers. This can cause behavioral problems, learning issues, developmental delays, and behavioral issues.

In an online town-hall meeting held on April 10, Dr. Nichole Q. Quick, chief medical advisor at the DPH, said that lead is a neurotoxin and even low amounts in the body can cause lasting harm, particularly in children.

Quick stated that blood tests conducted on residents prior to early April revealed no abnormalities. However, "no level of lead is safe," he said.

Lead can accumulate in the blood for weeks or months before it becomes visible.

DPH stated that "given the timing and the current test results we would expect to see elevated levels if there had been significant exposure by now."

The continuous testing of blood lead ensures that we do not miss any exposures which are delayed or ongoing.

DPH stated that anyone who tests positive for lead will be contacted within three days. All other results will be mailed to everyone else.

Impact on Property Prices

The Fenwicks followed all the steps recommended to protect their child.

Michelle Fenwick stated, "We have done all the cleaning, put down AstroTurf, and covered dirt with mulch in order to prevent exposure."

She said that depending on the results of the tests, they might consider a permanent solution: moving.

What price would they get for their house after the devastating Eaton & Palisades Fires, which destroyed more than 12000 structures and burned over 40,000 acres? At least 27 people died.

Land contamination can be of any kind and "significantly reduce property values," says LandApp, an online real estate data provider.

Lead from the Eaton Fire is primarily attributed to older housing in the area, which dates back more than a century. Homes built before 1978 are almost certain to have been painted with lead-based paint, and many of them had lead pipes.

Moving isn't an option for many people. The initial rise in rental rates after the fires raised concerns over price gouging, but prices have since fallen.

The housing stock in the area is not enough to accommodate the thousands of displaced people.

Patricia Roach, who is also a retired probationary officer standing in line to take a blood sample, stated that she would not be moving.

She asked. She asked. She asked.

The county hired environmental consultancy firm Roux Inc. for soil testing of 367 intact properties within one mile of the burn zone.

The majority of the samples in Roach and Fenwick's neighborhoods exceeded the state's acceptable lead levels.

COSTLY CLEANING

A second question is if home owners are responsible for the cost of soil remediation, if necessary.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is required to test and remove the top six inches of soil contaminated by FEMA.

Those with unharmed homes, however, may not be eligible for compensation.

FEMA has been asked to help with the assessment of fire effects by the DPH, but due to federal funding cuts it is unclear if the agency will offer any assistance.

Adam Love, principal researcher at Roux, stated at the townhall that a chemical accumulation that exceeds state-recommended levels "doesn’t mean that a cleanup must occur."

He said that it could mean that additional scrutiny was needed.

According to county officials, if the blood test shows a high amount of lead, that person might want their soil tested and removed.

The parents of Lily Fenwick were inconsolable as the nurses inserted a needle into her tiny arm. She let out a guttural cry.

Parents encourage others to do the tests despite the pain.

(source: Reuters)