More than three months after the Eaton Fire swept through Los Angeles County, a hidden threat is emerging from the ash -- lead contamination. Jonathan Vigliotti has more.

Los Angeles

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently amid rising sea-levels and increasing temperatures.

Climate Crisis

More than three months since the Eaton Fire ravaged Los Angeles County, officials have identified a significant environmental concern: lead contamination in the soil. This finding comes in the wake of soil tests conducted by a third-party group on behalf of the county, revealing that toxic levels exceed California's safety limits. Notably, 80% of the 800 properties sampled downwind from the fire's path have shown elevated lead levels.

The situation has sparked criticism and frustration among residents about the pace and thoroughness of the initial cleanup efforts. In a departure from traditional procedure, FEMA did not conduct these studies, citing policy changes and budget constraints at the federal level, leaving the county to undertake and finance the investigation, costing an additional $3 million for further screening.

The prevailing theory attributes the source of lead contamination to lead paint, prevalent in homes built before the 1978 ban. With most residential properties in the Altadena area constructed prior to that ban, lead paint was likely released into the environment during the fire. In response, residents are advised to avoid soil exposure, cover soil with grass, and consider blood tests for lead exposure. Some may need to manage a more intensive soil remediation process independently.



Elevated lead level after wildfires sparks criticism over fast cleanup

More than three months after the Eaton fire swept through Los Angeles County, a hidden threat is emerging from the ash, lead contamination. Recent soil tests confirm toxic levels exceeding California's safety limits. CBS's Jonathan Vigliotti joins me now for more. Jonathan, what exactly did this study show? Yeah, John, this was a study that was carried out by the county. They brought in a third-party group of investigators who went door-to-door, focused primarily on buildings still standing downwind from the destruction that you saw behind me. They collected samples of soil from around 800 properties. Of that, they found 80 percent of them had elevated levels of lead. And as you can imagine, a lot of criticism and renewed frustration from residents here who have long been critical of how fast the cleanup went and concerns about what threats were overlooked. Important to point out here that FEMA traditionally responds and conducts those studies. They've done so for nearly 20 years, but broke protocol this time around because of policy changes and budget cuts. Now the county is footing this bill, putting up an additional $3 million for a second round of screening to truly understand the full scope of this issue, John. Two questions here, Jonathan. Were those policy changes and budget cuts at the federal level, just to confirm on that? And then secondly, why is all this lead, where'd the lead come from? That is correct with the budget cuts on the federal level. Regarding the lead, the working theory right now is lead paint. Lead paint was very popular before it was banned in 1978. More than 90 percent of homes in the Altadena area were built before that ban went into effect. You see the destruction behind me. That fire, when it rips through, it introduces that lead paint into the air in the form of ash, which then snows down on properties and seeps into the soil, John. What are the people living there going to do? It's a great question. And the worst case scenario, some residents may have to be responsible for cleaning up and removing the top six inches of their soil at their own expense. But that is the worst case scenario. And officials here are urging patience as that second round of screening goes through. In the meantime, there are common sense tips. Avoid exposure to soil, put grass down so the wind doesn't pick it up and carry it into other neighborhoods. If you're going outside in contact with soil, wash your hands. If you have pets coming into the house, wash their paws, get air purifiers. And even blood testing is now being introduced for residents that are concerned, John.

Russia pummeled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war, injuring at least 23 people and damaging buildings across the capital only hours after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russia's Vladimir Putin, officials said.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia hits Kyiv with largest drone attack after Trump-Putin call

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Washington

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Jerusalem

More than 80 people killed in Gaza in one day

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Global Tariffs

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Gilimanuk

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Manhattan

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Tehran

Iran Strikes

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Lhasa

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Bangkok

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