Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Six months after the fires, are LA beaches safe?
Listen
• 0:43
Fire debris washes ashore in Malibu after rainstorms in February.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
It’s been about six months since the Eaton and Palisades fires killed 30 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. Since then, contamination has been a concern for nearby communities, including those along the coast.
Listen
• 0:43
Six months after the fires, are LA beaches safe?
That’s because after the fires came the rains, which sent hazardous material straight from those burned sites through creeks and storm drains into the ocean.
What the tests say
Shortly after the fires, the environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay and water quality officials gathered sand and water samples from Malibu, Palisades and Santa Monica beaches over several months, testing for hazardous forever chemicals, heavy metals and benzene.
Support for LAist comes from
“What we can say is that based on what has been tested and what those results are, the risk appears to be low,” said Tracy Quinn, chief executive of Heal the Bay, which analyzed the samples.
While tests at one point did detect chromium in sand samples, the good news is that follow-up tests didn’t find hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen.
Quinn said additional tests are being performed out of an abundance of caution.
Quinn added: ”Based on the fact that this is an unprecedented event and there may be contaminants that we're not thinking to test for that may be present, that is sort of the best that we can do as scientists right now.”
In early April, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health lifted the ocean water quality advisory that was in place for beaches after the fires.
It’s still best to stay several hundred yards away from any sort of debris removal operation, and to avoid any fire debris you see on the beach.
Support for LAist comes from
The potential long term effects of heavy metals and other contaminants on coastal ecosystems still hasn’t been determined.
Careful if you're swimming near the Santa Monica Pier. Public health warnings for bacteria are frequent there.
(
Cavan Images
/
Getty Images / iStockphoto
)
Problems at some beaches
Public health agencies usually test for fecal indicator bacteria and shut down beaches when levels get too high.
See alerts about water quality and which L.A. beaches you should avoid swimming at here.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist