Rebuilding L.A.20 Aug 2025

What’s In The Soil

Unlike in previous fire disasters, FEMA did not test the soil in the Eaton and Palisades burn area after debris was cleared, raising questions about whether or not any harmful substances were left behind. Fires that burn that hot through a neighborhood can release a complex mix of chemicals into the air, like arsenic, chromium, mercury and lead, that can seep deep into the ground and into the walls and floors of buildings still standing. A reporting team from the Los Angeles Times decided to take it upon themselves to investigate and do their own testing of the soil around homes that had been cleared and those still in tact. Some of the results were alarming.

Guests: Tony Briscoe, LA Times Environment Reporter, and Noah Haggerty, LA Times Science and Environment Reporter
Megan Lorick, Malibu Resident

A Sample of Tony and Noah’s Stories:

Communities are rebuilding after L.A. fires despite lack of soil testing for toxic substances

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-03-27/rebuilding-without-soil-testing
L.A. Times finds alarming levels of soil toxins in Altadena and Pacific Palisades

https://www.latimes.com/00000196-7dad-d12e-afbe-fffd3f110000-123

Pressure is mounting for soil testing post-fire cleanup. The Newsom administration is downplaying the concerns

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-06-12/elected-officials-call-for-soil-testing-after-la-wildfires
Nearly half of Pasadena Unified schools have contaminated soil, district finds

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-05-16/nearly-half-of-pasadena-unified-schools-have-contaminated-soil-district-finds

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Episoder(44)

Where Are The Federal Relief Funds? (With Rep. Judy Chu)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently approved California's request to extend housing assistance to survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. But more than 18 months after those Ja...

1 Jul 42min

Saved By A Story: How the Art of Writing Can Help L.A. Fire Survivors Heal

Long after the smoke cleared and the news crews left, many fire survivors are still carrying grief, anxiety, and the emotional weight of losing a community, a routine, and a sense of place. In this ep...

24 Jun 32min

The Flames are Long Gone but the Psychological Toll of the L.A. Fires Lingers

Today people are not just rebuilding their homes but their lives. On top of the task of just figuring out whether to move back and rebuild a house or leave and start over someplace else, survivors hav...

17 Jun 36min

How One Altadena Neighborhood Builds Back, Piece By Piece

It turns out you can burn down a neighborhood and not destroy a community. The one great silver lining to these fires in Los Angeles is that survivors are transcending the physical ties. No matter how...

10 Jun 33min

Family, Faith, and Good Neighbors: How One Eaton Fire Survivor Has Found The Strength To Move On And Rebuild.

Eighteen months after the Eaton and Palisades Fires, it's not gotten any easier for survivors. But there are good things happening. People are rebuilding. Survivors are making plans to return to these...

3 Jun 52min

Game Theory: Is L.A. Rebuilding For Survivors - Or For The Olympics? (with CBS News' Jonathan Vigliotti)

The fire in the Pacific Palisades was still smoldering when Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass announced we would rebuild. Now, almost 18 months later, progress has been a mixed bag. Yes, home...

20 Mai 59min

Recovery, From The People's Perspective: 'It's About To Get A Lot Worse'

About 2 in 3 fire survivors are still displaced and, as coverage for temporary housing disappears, that number could get increase. That's according to the latest report from Department of Angels, a no...

13 Mai 55min

The Political Firefight To Be LA's Mayor

There's a big election this year, and we are not just talking about the congressional midterm races. There's a lot of consequential local races, too, including one for LA's next mayor. As incumbent ma...

6 Mai 45min