About CAP.LA
In the wake of the Eaton and Palisades Fires, disaster recovery experts from multiple universities have come together to expedite and empower household and business recovery decisions. Their efforts, as part of a data-informed civic action, will enable household members and business owners to be proactive recovery partners.
CAP.LA (Community Action Project LA) is funded by the R&S Kayne Foundation and includes researchers from Loyola Marymount University, UCLA, and Purdue University.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: When will you start testing?
A: We are planning to start sampling and testing in the middle of March. We are super enthusiastic to get started, but we need to complete the necessary preparation before we are out in the field full-time.
Q: If I enrolled, does that automatically mean someone will come out and test my soil?
A: No, we currently have the resources to visit and collect 1,200 soil samples from affected properties, including soil testing from properties before and after phase 2 clean up (removal of 6 inches of soil) or just after phase 2 clean up (if top 6-inch soil is removed by the time we get to the property for sampling). However, we are actively in conversations with other organizations about additional funding to expand testing efforts. Elected officials we have spoken with are also advocating for additional funding.
Q: What does CAP.LA stand for?
A: CAP.LA stands for Community Action Project Los Angeles
Q: Are you only testing because FEMA is not?
A: No, we were planning to offer the tests prior to FEMA and US Army Corps of Engineers’ announcements that they do not plan to test. We still hope FEMA and the State of California choose to conduct soil testing for the property owners impacted, however.
Q: How many tests will you do?
A: We are targeting 1,200 tests…more if additional funding is secured.
Q: Are you only testing after Phase 2 is completed at a property?
A: No. Although much of the testing will be after Phase 2 cleanup, so that our data will inform the owner if the soil is safe for living, we will also take soil samples before and after Phase 2 for some properties to examine the effectiveness of top 6-inch soil removal on clean up status of the soil It is not a requirement for Phase 2 to be done for you to be enrolled or selected.
Q: Are you only testing properties in a burn zone?
A: No, we are testing soil from properties in the burn zones (burned homes and standing homes) and also properties in adjacent areas. We are also testing a few areas elsewhere in LA to have comparison numbers.
Q: How will I know if my property is selected?
A: We will let you know a few days in advance before going to your site.
Q: What can I do if my property is not selected?
A: While we would like to visit all properties, we recognize that we will not have the resources to test all affected properties (as of March 3, we have more than 2,500 sign-ups). If you collect and bring soil samples from your property to one of our pop-up locations, we are happy to test for heavy metals using a handheld XRF Analyzer. More on this soon.
Q: Does this mean you’re able to do more than 1,200 properties?
A: YES! We will provide detailed instructions on how to collect soil or debris safely from different spots on your property and store it all in one plastic bag to bring to us at a pop-up location. We will be sharing pop-up locations, dates, and times soon. This will also be an option if you have wish to have your soil tested prior to us finishing our sampling. More on this soon. In the meantime, please do not send soil samples by mail or delivery to the CAP.LA team.
Q: Does a homeowner have to be on site during the sampling?
A: No, you don’t have to be on site. You are welcome to be there (obviously, it’s your property!), and we’ll give you notice before going if you’d like to join.
Q: How will we know people sampling the soil are affiliated with CAP.LA?
A: Everyone collecting samples and taking notes as part of the project will wear CAP.LA gear and will carry identification. You are welcome to ask for identification at any point.
Q: Who is overseeing the actual soil sampling and testing?
A: Testing is being overseen by Dr. Sanjay Mohanty at UCLA.
Q: Will the results be posted anywhere?
A: Aggregated tests will be mapped and posted at www.cap.la. No individual results will be posted.
Q: What if I filled out something incorrectly?
A: If at all possible, we will contact you to get the correct information (for example, if the address is missing or only a first name is listed). If you answered one of the later questions incorrectly, please go ahead and fill out the form again. The most recent submission will be kept.
Q: I don’t want to give out too much information. How much personal information do you really need?
A: We only ask for the most basic information. We will never request things like your full name, date of birth, immigration status, or any requests for payment.
Q: Do you need to go into my home?
A: No. We will never request to enter your home.
Q: Is 1,200 a lot of soil samples?
A: Based on publicly available studies, we did not find any other similar scale effort. So, we believe this may be one of the largest efforts where the results will be publicly shared.
Q: Can the test results from prior wildfires inform these incidents?
A: Potentially, but when you look back at past fires the agencies did not share the soil testing results of the 1000s of homes tested publicly. So, there’s really no available data to examine. There also may be slight differences in background chemicals between locations where wildfires occur.
Q: If I am not selected initially, is it possible I could be selected later on?
A: Yes, we are still in conversations about additional funding and will gladly sample and test more locations if possible.
Q: Is it too late to sign up?
A: No. As long as our enrollment form is still active (available here: https://mylmu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cPbcuINfjT4Gqfs), we are still accepting enrollments.
Q: Are you working with anyone else on this project?
A: We are working with teams at UCLA, Purdue, LMU, and the R&S Kayne Foundation.
Q: What metals and PFAS compounds are you testing for?
A: We are testing all samples for the following metals: Lead, chromium, vanadium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, and mercury. We are testing a subset of the samples for the following per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFSA, PFHxS, and PFNA.
Q: How are metals and PFAS compounds measured?
A: We will measure metals using Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after digesting the soil to leach all metals. Additionally, we will use high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to measure PFAS.
Q: Does submitting more than one enrollment form increase my chances of being selected?
A: No, if there are submissions at duplicate addresses, we will remove the first one and keep the most recent submission.
Q: How long will it take to get results back?
A: We are estimating that it will take up to 2 weeks to get results for heavy metals from Handheld XRF sent to homeowners. Results from extensive analysis for metals using ICP-MS and for PFAS using HPLC-MS/MS may take 4 weeks or more based on the number of samples to be processed and due to complex extraction steps and lead time for analytical instruments, which is beyond the control of CAP.LA team.
Q: Do homeowners have to complete the form or can people renting homes submit forms?
A: Homeowners are to complete the form to give consent for us to access the property.
Q: Who will be sent the individual results?
A: Homeowners will receive the results for their individual properties.
Q: Will you share the results with insurance companies?
A: No, we will not share individual results with others.
Q: What is the cost for the soil to be tested if we’re selected?
A: There is NO cost to homeowners if their property is selected, sampled, and tested as part of this project. We have heard from homeowners that some companies are charging between $5,000 to $10,000 to send someone out to their property and analyze their soil. Thanks to the generosity of the R&S Kayne Foundation, CAP-LA will never ask for payment from homeowners.