Erin Stone

1 month ago | laist.com | Erin Stone

L.A. city and county are facing a strange limbo in their efforts to end oil drilling. Local rules to phase out oil drilling have to be repealed so that new ones in line with state law can be enacted. But in the meantime, oil companies can operate much as they have for decades — and residents are urging the city and other regulators to do more to curtail activities they say put their health at risk.

1 month ago | laist.com | Erin Stone

A group of environmental researchers is calling for more comprehensive soil testing in the L.A. region after January’s fires. In sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom last week, a dozen experts said the state should pay for widespread testing to ensure lots are safe to rebuild on. The federal government has been in charge of cleaning up after the Eaton and Palisades fires, but have said they will not test soil for heavy metals and other toxins once lots are cleared.

1 month ago | laist.com | Erin Stone

On the roofs of two unassuming Extra Space storage buildings in Pico Rivera, an array of solar panels is helping nearby families save money on their bills, while also providing a model for the future of “community solar” in urban areas across the state. The projects came online in February — nearly 400 low-income households in the Bassett and Avocado Heights neighborhoods in the southeast San Gabriel Valley are subscribed, receiving a 20% discount on their electricity bills.

1 month ago | laist.com | Erin Stone

The background: The county’s ordinance and a similar one passed by the city of L.A. in 2022 have been stalled by litigation brought by oil companies. One of those lawsuits led to the city’s ordinance being . The companies argued that only the state has the power to regulate oil drilling. However, a state law that went into effect this year explicitly gives local governments the authority to regulate drilling within their jurisdictions.

1 month ago | laist.com | Erin Stone

The L.A. County Department of Public Health has found high levels of lead in the soil of properties that burned during January’s fires and have now been cleared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The county initiated the testing after the Army Corps said it would not do the testing itself, breaking with a longstanding practice of the federal government doing that work. Army Corps officials said removing up to 6 inches of topsoil would be enough to eliminate hazardous chemicals.