PUSD to Remove Fire-Contaminated Soil and Nearly 200 Trees at 11 Sites

Pasadena Unified School District announced that it will move forward this summer with DTSC-directed removal of fire-related contaminants impacting soil and trees at 11 campuses and district sites affected by the Eaton Fire. Pasadena Now reported that the work will involve roughly 13,400 tons of contaminated soil, about 613 truckloads, and the removal of 193 trees rooted in contaminated areas. The reasoning on why trees must also be removed for soil recovery on PUSD lots is unclear. Colorado Boulevard’s coverage of PUSD’s remediation raised the broader question of whether nearby parks and residential areas could face similar contamination concerns. The City of Pasadena said it does not currently plan additional park soil testing and pointed concerned residents to LA County’s soil-testing program.

Review PUSD’s soil recovery announcement.Read the Colorado Boulevard article.