News | Pasadena Now | August 2025

How Safe is the Soil?

More than 200 Altadena residents gathered in a meeting room at the Salvation Army Tabernacle Thursday with a mix of worry, exhaustion, and resolve. A Soil Testing Town Hall, organized by the LA Fire Justice law group, drew an array of environmental experts, scientists, and advocates — including consumer advocate Erin Brockovich — to confront an unsettling question lingering since January’s devastating fires: What toxins remain in the soil where we live, play, and rebuild?

In April, federal funds for soil testing were dramatically reduced, forcing the County Board of Supervisors to provide $3 million to pay for soil testing in the Altadena burn areas.