Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
LA County approves funding for lead tests at homes downwind of Eaton Fire
Smoke from the Eaton Fire fills the sky in La Cañada Flintridge.
(
Jules Hotz
/
CalMatters
)
Topline:
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to allocate $3 million for residents who want to test their soil for lead. The funds are intended to help people whose intact properties are in the Eaton Fire burn scar or within one mile downwind, and who may struggle to get testing subsidized through their insurance or cleanup programs run by the federal government.
The full context: Last week, the L.A. County Department of Public Health announced that they found high levels of lead on a number of intact properties downwind from the Eaton Fire, indicating that the heavy metal traveled far outside the burn area.
Funding source: The pot of money comes from the Lead Paint Hazard Mitigation Program, which is funded by a $134 million settlement the county won against manufacturers of lead-based paint in 2018.
Who will test? The Department of Public Health will contract with certified laboratories.
Will you qualify? More information about the program will become available in the next 30 days or so.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
