Pasadena Unified School District released the results of soil tests this week, showing elevated levels of toxic metals at 13 campuses five months after the Eaton Fire.

Pasadena schools that shut down during the peak of the Eaton Fire reopened by February, and parents have been concerned since then about the possible presence of harmful metals like lead and arsenic. The schools are among many sites in the Eaton Fire area that have recently found to have elevated levels of harmful materials.

Pasadena Unified contracted with Verdantas, a “state-licensed environmental consulting firm” to conduct the testing after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found properties downwind of the Eaton Fire were more likely to have elevated lead levels.

What levels of lead are safe?

State and federal agencies set “screening levels” to help determine what areas may need further remediation.

“Generally, at properties where contaminant concentrations fall below soil screening levels, there is no health-related concern and no further action or study is warranted,” said the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in a factsheet about lead contamination.

California’s threshold for acceptable levels of lead in the soil (80 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) or less) is stricter than the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (100-200 mg/kg).

What did the results show?

The company took soil samples from multiple sites at each school.

The most common contaminant was lead, which occurs naturally in the environment, but is dangerous at elevated levels, particularly to young children. Exposure can cause behavior and learning problems and slowed growth among other problems.

The single highest concentration of lead found was at Blair High School (253mg/kg) near the tennis courts east of Arroyo Seco Parkway. For almost all the other sites where lead was detected, the highest concentration was in the 100-200 mg/kg range.

Where elevated levels of lead were found:

• Allendale Elementary
• Altadena Elementary
• Blair High School
• District Service Center
• Education Center
• Field Elementary
• Jefferson Childcare Center
• John Muir High School
• Longfellow Elementary
• Madison Elementary
• Marshall Secondary
• Octavia E. Butler Magnet
• San Rafael Elementary
• Washington Elementary

Where chromium was found:

• Allendale Elementary
• Blair High School

Where arsenic was found:

• Blair High School
• Field Elementary
• John Muir High School
• San Rafael Elementary
• Webster Elementary
• Cleveland Campus (Aveson and Alma Fuerte Charter)

See all the samples

Reaction from one parent

Mayka Mei is an Altadena resident and a PUSD parent. Her family has been temporarily displaced from the Eaton Fire, and is planning to return to their home in weeks.

After the reopening of all the schools in the district, Mei waited to take her daughter back to Field Elementary — to her original classroom, no less — until cleaning of the HVAC system was complete.

“I  am very frustrated at the district. A lot of parents feel the same way, and here we are. All these parents and families, we hope to trust the district in doing thorough testing,” Mei said about the soil test results. “ So right now there’s a lot of distrust.”

Things Mei and the parents she’s talked to want to see are continued testing, ongoing remediation and full transparency from the district going forward.

Mei said her daughter’s classroom garden is one of the sites found with the highest levels of harmful substances. “Which is kind of heart wrenching because it was really important for me and for her to return to that specific classroom. So I don’t want to uproot that,” she said.

But if trust can’t be reestablished, Mei said she might have to exercise the option.

“People are incensed. And what we’ve got to do then, for a district that’s already suffering financially and emotionally, is really stabilize the community that exists.  Because otherwise, why would those families come back?” Mei said.

What’s next?

The district said that schools have restricted access to outdoor areas with elevated levels of harmful substances. The district plans to consult with Pasadena and L.A. County Department of Public Health to review the results and create a plan to remediate affected areas. The district also indicates that more rest results may be coming.

“We want to be abundantly clear: safety is not negotiable,” PUSD Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement. “That’s why we’re moving forward with both urgency and care. We are grateful to our school communities for their patience as we work to ensure that every student and employee has a safe environment to learn and grow.”

LAist sent the district a request for more details Friday evening, but has not yet received a response.

How to attend a board meeting

The Pasadena Unified Board of Education next meets on Thursday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m.

Location: Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room #236
351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena

Virtual viewing: Regular meetings are broadcast live on Charter Cable Channel 95 and at http://live.boardmeetings.info.