The Dyson home in West Altadena (File Photo – Brian Feinzimer, LA County)
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Altadena Soil Remediation Program on Tuesday, July 21, launching a new initiative to help Eaton Fire survivors remove lead-contaminated soil from their properties.
By News Desk
The program, championed by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, will provide $3 million for soil remediation efforts. Funding includes a $1 million allocation from Barger and $2 million from the 2025–26 California state budget, allocated to the California Community Foundation in collaboration with CONSORTIUM.
The program will prioritize households with standing homes where pregnant women or children younger than six years old live, recognizing the heightened health risks lead exposure poses to those populations.
“Families whose homes survived the Eaton Fire have faced obstacle after obstacle,” Barger said. “Many Altadena residents have spent months waiting for answers while insurance companies have fallen short of meeting survivors’ legitimate needs. Today’s action is an important step forward to help residents safely restore their properties and move on with rebuilding their lives.”
Under the board’s action, the Los Angeles County Development Authority will administer the program and oversee remediation projects through an existing board-approved contracting process.
Funding will cover enrollment, program administration and the cleanup of lead-contaminated soil on properties affected by the Eaton Fire. County officials said the initiative will not affect the county’s General Fund because the money comes from Barger’s 5th District allocation within the county’s Climate Equity Account.
The Altadena Soil Remediation Program is expected to launch this fall.
LACDA will partner with the Community-Oriented Network for Scientific Observation, Recovery, and Tracking of Impacts from Urban Megafires, known as CONSORTIUM, an interdisciplinary collaboration that has led soil testing, scientific research and community outreach following the Eaton Fire.
Working alongside the Department of Angels and the Altadena Recovery and Rebuild Corporation, CONSORTIUM members CAP.LA, USC CLEAN and the LA Fire HEALTH Study will help implement the program and conduct community outreach, ensuring residents receive the technical support and resources needed to recover safely.
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