California says 6,500 homes near shuttered Exide plant are 'clean.' But soil samples raise questions

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Set us as preferred California has cleaned up lead-contaminated soil at thousands of homes in neighborhoods surrounding a shuttered battery recycling plant in southeast L.A.County, state officials say.The former Exide facility in Vernon spewed toxic dust for decades as it melted down lead-acid car batteries for recycling.

Its operations released lead dust across Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Commerce and Maywood while the state allowed the plant to operate for decades with a temporary permit.“Every school, park, and childcare center in the affected area has been cleaned,” Gov.

Gavin Newsom said in a statement Friday, “and nearly 6,500 homes have been made safer.” Climate & Environment A recycler in Vernon melted down pallets of lead-acid car batteries for a century and there is still lead in people’s yards after a decade of cleanup.The 6,500 figure, which was current as of Oct.23, reflects roughly 80% of the 8,000 total eligible properties where owners granted access, according to the statement.

That means there are about 1,500 properties left for the state to clean up.“That is real progress for communities that waited far too long for justice,” Newsom said in the statement.“California will keep fighting to do right by the families of Southeast Los Angeles.”In April, The Times reported on a study by a team of university researchers and a local environmental health organization that found some remediated homes still had lead levels above California’s standard for residential properties.

The state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) had committed to performing soil testing at homes where work was done early in the cleanup process.Not long after, the state officials began sending letters to homeowners detailing these soil testing results.

Over a dozen homeowners were notified that DTSC had...