Shortly after the fires, the federal government suddenly refused to adhere to California’s decades-old post-fire soil-testing policy; California later considered following suit. Meanwhile, insurance companies have resisted remediation practices widely recommended by scientists for still-standing homes. Insurance companies and survivors have routinely fought over who is responsible for the costs of contamination testing. Just last week, researchers hotly debated the thoroughness of the contamination testing at Palisades Charter High School’s campus. Harabedian hopes the new guidelines could solidify the state’s long-standing policy to conduct comprehensive, post-fire soil testing.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 28, 2026 17:01 UTC