Help shape our community's recovery by completing this survey to connect with soil recovery resources. As a thank you, all participants will be entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift card. Soil test results are not required, but please have them ready if you have them. 

Pre-Survey Soil Remediation 101 

After a fire, soil can hold harmful chemicals from burned materials. Soil testing is the first step to understanding how your property is affected by common post-fire contaminants like heavy metals. If your results show contaminant levels above residential screening limits (e.g., lead above 80 ppm), you'll need to remediate your soil to reduce exposure.

What is remediation? It's the process of addressing contaminated soil to make your property safer. There are several approaches you can take:

1. Hauling/Removal and Replacement: Contaminated soil is dug up, safely disposed of at an approved site, and replaced with clean fill.
2. Geotextile Barriers: Special fabric is placed on the ground to create a physical barrier that blocks contact with contaminated soil.
3. Capping: The contaminated soil is covered with at least 4 inches of clean soil, compost, mulch, and/or sod to prevent contact. Note: This approach doesn't remove contaminants and requires ongoing maintenance to stay effective.
4. Stabilization: Materials like biochar or zeolites are added to bind certain contaminants in place, preventing them from spreading. Note: This doesn't remove contaminants and may not work for all contamination types.
5. Bioremediation: Nature-based approaches use living organisms, including plants (phytoremediation), microbes, and fungi, to stabilize or extract metals (like lead and arsenic) and break down organic contaminants (like dioxins, PAHs, and VOCs) over time.

This survey is part of a community-driven effort by the Fire-Resilient Bioremediation and Landscape Recovery Consortium, which includes Resilient Palisades, Eaton Fire Residents United, and the Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation.