Los Angeles residents are furious at an announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers that there will be no testing of local soil for toxins after the first six inches of topsoil was stolen during wreckage removal that began this week.
Residents fear that the Army can for years leave toxins behind in soil that could put burned areas at risk.
Los Angeles Times It has been reported Thursday:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday that they will not order soil testing on properties damaged by the Eton and Palisade fires after being cleaned by civilian federal contractors. After a wildfire.
…The move could transfer burdens to homeowners, businesses and school districts to pay for the test, potentially removing more contaminated soil. Under California's policy, wildfire experts say contaminated soil must remove contaminated soil until it falls into state restrictions of toxic contamination.
…During the cleaning up of a 2018 camp fire that destroyed the paradise town of Bute County in Northern California, Pasadena-based consulting firm Tetra Tech has reportedly seen nearly 12,500 after a cleanup crew removed six-inch topsoil. I was hired to test the soil at the facility. About a third of the properties (over 4,200) still contained toxic chemicals that exceeded state cleaning standards, such as lead in brain damage and arsenic, which causes cancer.
Army Colonel Eric Swenson said the corps could only act within the state-set mission guidelines.
After urging residents to “opt in” Army fragments for a few weeks, locals have to hire private contractors to finish their work as about 96% of residents chose to do so. You'll be surprised that it must be.
Breitbart News learned at a press conference Tuesday that removal of Army fragments that are being marketed as “freedom” to residents will actually be billed through Los Angeles County to residents with insurance policies.
Typically, the Army may charge up to $175,000, depending on the cost of removal and insurance coverage.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News; Breitbart News Sunday Sirius XM Patriot will be available Sundays from 7pm to 10pm (4pm to 7pm). He is the author of Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Daysyou can pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author Trump's Virtue: Lessons and Legacy of President Donald TrumpIt is now available on Audible. He is the winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak.
