Soil Guidance

On Friday, 8/22, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released new soil contamination guidance for communities affected by the Eaton and Palisades Fires. The guidance offers recommendations for reducing exposure, but provides no funding for remediation support. Full details are available here.

Dr. Andrew Whelton of Purdue has flagged serious flaws in the guidance, including a chromium threshold set 50 times higher than DTSC’s own hazardous waste standard and the omission of lithium, despite the many electric cars burned in the fires. His full analysis is outlined in a letter to Governor Newsom, available here.

EFRU is closely following the work of scientists studying soil remediation through bioremediation paired with microbiology, with demonstrated results across multiple sites in the Eaton Fire area. While the State currently promotes soil capping as its lowest-cost option—which only offers temporary protection—bioremediation with microbiology is producing data with contamination mitigation beneath the surface. This approach could offer a more effective long-term solution than capping, while remaining significantly more affordable than excavation. Stay tuned for details.