If your soil shows exceedances

When your soil test results come back, review them closely for any exceedances. If the lab did not specify, call and ask them to clarify which contaminants are showing exceedances. 

*This information has been checked for accuracy and non-bias
 by licensed professionals, experts and representatives from National 501c3’s.
 Consult with a licensed professional about your specific situation.

TIP:

An “Exceedance” is when the levels are higher than what the EPA deems safe for you to be exposed to. These are called “Residential Screening Limits” and are different State by State. 

For example: 

“If your results show lead (Pb) at “100 ppm”, and the California residential screening limit for lead is 80 ppm, then that sample exceeds the guidelines and is considered contaminated.”

  • Dr. Danielle Stevenson, CAER

Read your report closely - the lab will likely give you a breakdown of their findings, any exceedances, and some may make remediation recommendations in their report.

Call them for a detailed explanation.

If they do not give you clear remediation instructions, having a Certified Industrial Hygienist or residential soil specialist decipher the results may be helpful. 

Industrial

Hygienist

A consultation will give you a lot of insight, and some industrial hygienists are willing to do that for an hourly fee. If you need a remediation plan, hire them to prepare one and make official recommendations on how to proceed.

You will want to have this on hand if you sell the property in the future to prove that you followed recommended remediation protocols. 

In California, you can find an Industrial Hygienist through the AIHA Consultants Directory, the BGC list of Certified Industrial Hygienists.

Pro TIP:

Find one who is independent from the remediation company so results are unbiased.

perform

remediation

Your Hygienist or Specialist may recommend scraping and replacing soil, bioremediation, or other methods, depending on the extent of your contamination.

They should also be able to point you to an Environmental Remediation Contractor to perform the cleanup.

WHAT NOT

TO DO

What not to do:

  • Experts strongly advise against simply “capping” toxic soil with clean soil or mulch as a remediation method. Heat and digging can bring contaminants back to the surface. 

  • If you perform bioremediation, be aware that you will need to dispose of the plants in specialized dumps that can take hazardous materials.

What Your

Neighbors Do

What Your Neighbors Do Matters… A Lot.

If your neighbors don’t remediate toxic soil, contaminants can spread onto your property through:

  • Rainwater runoff – Water flows downhill, carrying fine contaminated particles with it.

  • Wind - Dry, dusty soil can blow across property lines.

  • Shared landscaping or drainage - Especially if you have adjoining yards, irrigation, or a natural slope.

This means:

  • A single property testing clean doesn’t guarantee it will stay that way long-term if neighboring lots are still toxic.

  • Buyers or insurers might raise red flags if adjacent lots didn’t test or remediate, especially in fire-damaged zones.

What to do:

  • Connect with your neighbors and find out if they have tested properly and plan to remediate.

  • Ask your industrial hygienist or soil specialist what type of barriers between your property and lots uphill from you would be helpful, if at all.

TIP:

You may want to wait to perform soil removal until you have architectural plans. You may decide to put a walkway or pool, or building over where your contamination is, making soil removal moot. 

How Much Does

Remediation Cost?


Remediation costs vary depending on the size of your lot, the level of contamination, and the remediation method necessary.

Some survivors have been able to include remediation expenses in lawsuits, and some attorneys may arrange and pay for testing upfront.

Neighbors may also be able to negotiate group rates with labs or remediation companies.

This would be a great conversation to have with your neighborhood captain and immediate neighbors.

THE BAD NEWS

Typically, home insurance doesn’t cover soils or remediation, just the home itself. Check with your insurer about this.

TIP:

Always have your contractor’s payment requests match the same draw schedule your mortgage company uses.

If they’re asking for money outside that system, slow down and check with your lender first.

The (maybe)

good news:

Funders are working on grants to help cover these costs. We will keep you abreast of things as they become available.