The space environment is harsh and full of extreme radiation. Scientists designing spacecraft and satellites need materials that can withstand these conditions.
Metal-halide perovskites are a class of materials discovered in 1839 that are found abundantly in Earth’s crust. They absorb sunlight and efficiently convert it into electricity, making them a potentially good fit for space-based solar panels that can power satellites or future space habitats.
Researchers make perovskites in the form of inks, then coat the inks onto glass plates or plastic, creating thin, filmlike devices that are lightweight and flexible.
Surprisingly, these thin-film solar cells perform as well as conventional silicon solar cells in laboratory demonstrations, even though they are almost 100 times thinner than traditional solar cells.
But these films can degrade if they’re exposed to moisture or oxygen. Researchers and industry are currently working on addressing these stability concerns for terrestrial deployment.
To test how they might hold up in space, my team developed a radiation experiment. We exposed perovskite solar cells to protons at both low and high energies and found a unique, new property.
The high-energy protons healed the damage caused by the low-energy protons, allowing the device to recover and continue doing its job. The conventional semiconductors used for space electronics do not show this healing.
My team was surprised by this finding. How can a material that degrades when exposed to oxygen and moisture not only resist the harsh radiation of space but also self-heal in an environment that destroys conventional silicon semiconductors?
Materials that can tolerate extreme radiation and self-heal would change the game.
Researchers estimate that deploying just a few pounds of perovskite materials into space could generate up to 10,000,000 watts of power. It currently costs about US$4,000 per kilogram ($1,818 per pound) to launch materials into space, so efficient materials are important.
What still isn’t known
Our findings shed light on a remarkable aspect of perovskites – their tolerance to damage and defects. Perovskite crystals are a type of soft material, which means that their atoms can move into different states that scientists call vibrational modes.
Atoms in perovskites are normally arranged in a lattice formation. But radiation can knock the atoms out of position, damaging the material. The vibrations might help reposition the atoms back into place, but we’re still not sure exactly how this process works.
What’s next?
Our findings suggest that soft materials might be uniquely helpful in extreme environments, including space.
But radiation isn’t the only stress that materials have to weather in space. Scientists don’t yet know how perovskites will fare when exposed to vacuum conditions and extreme temperature variations, along with radiation, all at once. Temperature could play a role in the healing behavior my team saw, but we’ll need to conduct more research to determine how.
These results tell us that soft materials could help scientists develop technology that works well in extreme environments. Future research could dive deeper into how the vibrations in these materials relate to any self-healing properties.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
NORTH COAST, Calif. — A Napa County man walked away uninjured after having to conduct an emergency landing of his plane on Thursday in Humboldt County.
Joseph McCoy, 67, was the pilot in the crash, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
At 10:35 a.m. Thursday, Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in the Loleta area for a report of a possible small aircraft accident.
Along with the sheriff’s office, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Humboldt Bay Refuge, Loleta Volunteer Fire Department and City Ambulance also responded.
Once on scene, responding personnel were able to locate a small, single engine, fixed winged aircraft that had come to rest upside down in a dry marsh area.
McCoy, the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft, was found to be uninjured, authorities said.
Preliminary information indicates McCoy had just departed the Eureka area when the aircraft lost power, resulting in McCoy making an emergency landing at the refuge.
Upon landing, the soft ground of the marsh appears to have contributed to the aircraft coming to rest in an inverted position. McCoy was able to extricate himself from the aircraft and contact emergency services.
Officials with Humboldt County Environmental Health later responded to assist with evaluating and containing any possible fluid leakage from the aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board will be conducting an investigation into the potential cause of this incident.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office thanked all allied agencies that responded to assist.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251.
Foreclosures across the United States went up slightly in May, but are still improved from a year ago.
ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property, and real estate data, has released its May 2024 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 32,621 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions — up 3% from a month ago but down 7% from a year ago.
"May's foreclosure activity highlights nuanced shifts in the housing market," said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. "While we observed a slight increase in foreclosure starts, the decline in completed foreclosures indicates resilience in certain areas. Monitoring these evolving patterns remains crucial to understanding the full impact on the real estate sector."
Nationwide one in every 4,320 housing units had a foreclosure filing in May 2024. States with the highest foreclosure rates were New Jersey (one in every 1,939 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Illinois (one in every 2,362 housing units); Delaware (one in every 2,595 housing units); Connecticut (one in every 2,600 housing units); and Florida (one in every 2,638 housing units).
Among the 224 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest foreclosure rates in May 2024 were Longview, Texas (one in every 1,162 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Trenton, New Jersey (one in every 1,471 housing units); Atlantic City, New Jersey (one in every 1,569 housing units); Lakeland, Florida (one in every 1,584 housing units); and Bakersfield, California (one in every 1,685 housing units).
Those metropolitan areas with a population greater than one million with the worst foreclosure rates in May 20244 were: Chicago (one in every 2,015 housing units); Philadelphia (one in every 2,143 housing units); Riverside, California (one in every 2,216 housing units); Jacksonville, Florida (one in every 2,267 housing units); and Las Vegas (one in every 2,361 housing units).
Greatest numbers of foreclosure starts in Florida, Texas and California
Lenders started the foreclosure process on 22,385 U.S. properties in May 2024, up 3% from last month but down 4% from a year ago.
States that had the greatest number of foreclosure starts in May 2024 included: Florida (2,750 foreclosure starts); Texas (2,560 foreclosure starts); California (2,370 foreclosure starts); Illinois (1,427 foreclosure starts); and New Jersey (1,219 foreclosure starts).
Those major metropolitan areas with a population greater than one million that had the greatest number of foreclosure starts in May 2024 included: New York (1,447 foreclosure starts); Chicago (1,272 foreclosure starts); Houston (915 foreclosure starts); Miami (750 foreclosure starts); and Philadelphia (713 foreclosure starts).
Foreclosure completion numbers decrease slightly from last month
Lenders repossessed 2,879 U.S. properties through completed foreclosures, or REOs, in May 2024, down 1% from last month and down 28% from last year.
States that had the greatest number of REOs in May 2024 included: California (254 REOs); Illinois (254 REOs); Pennsylvania (238 REOs); Ohio (177 REOs); and Texas (167 REOs).
Those major metropolitan statistical areas with a population greater than one million that saw the greatest number of REOs in May 2024 included: Chicago (179 REOs); New York (124 REOs); Baltimore (84 REOs); Pittsburgh (80 REOs); and Washington, DC (69 REOs).
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Officials across Lake County and the rest of the state are breathing a collective sigh of relief after the California Supreme Court handed down a decision stopping a ballot initiative aimed at attacking how governments fund services before it can reach the November ballot.
The justices reached a unanimous decision on Thursday morning in the case State of California v. Weber that the “Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act” initiative cannot be included on the November 2024 ballot.
Called by opponents the “Taxpayer Deception Act,” the initiative would have required any changes in state law resulting in tax increases to be passed by a two-thirds majority vote of the state Legislature before being submitted to the electorate for a majority vote.
Additionally, each act resulting in increased taxation would have to have a specific time duration and an estimate of the annual amount expected to be derived from the tax, and a specific and legally binding and enforceable limitation on how the revenue from the tax can be spent.
Opponents also attacked the measure for being “an illegal revision to the constitution funded by a handful of wealthy real-estate developers and landlords desperate to avoid paying their fair share,” said Jonathan Underland, spokesperson for the NO on the Taxpayer Deception Act campaign.
It was on that question of constitutional revision that the justices focused their consideration of the proposed ballot initiative, which shared the same name as a similar attempt that fell short of qualifying for the 2022 November ballot.
“The only question before us is whether the measure may be validly enacted by initiative,” said Associate Justice Goodwin H. Liu, who wrote the decision.
“After considering the pleadings and briefs filed by the parties and amici curiae as well as the parties’ oral arguments, we conclude that Petitioners have clearly established that the challenged measure would revise the Constitution without complying with the appropriate procedure. The changes proposed by the TPA [Taxpayer Protection Act] are within the electorate’s prerogative to enact, but because those changes would substantially alter our basic plan of government, the proposal cannot be enacted by initiative. It is instead governed by the procedures for revising our Constitution,” Liu wrote.
As a result, the court issued a peremptory writ of mandate directing Secretary of State Shirley Weber “to refrain from taking any steps to place the TPA on the November 5, 2024 election ballot or to include the measure in the voter information guide.”
Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast), whose district includes Lake County, lauded the decision.
“Today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision protects Californians and our ability to provide law enforcement, fire protection, and vital services that communities rely upon,” McGuire said Thursday. “This Court worked long and hard on this decision, which clearly stated that the initiative process can’t be weaponized to undermine the basic functions of government prescribed by our constitution.”
The cities of Clearlake and Lakeport have been watching the matter closely.
On Tuesday, Lakeport City Attorney David Ruderman told the Lakeport City Council that he was expecting the decision this week.
The news about the decision was “an enormous relief,” said Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora.
“We always seem to be fighting for local control and this was no different,” Flora said. “In our view this was large corporations’ attempt to shift their costs of doing business to local taxpayers. The vague language of the initiative would have likely resulted in lots of litigation over attempts to adjust fees. Further, extraordinary efforts would be required to raise fees even a small amount and would have likely rendered many adjustments impossible. The end result would have been the need to simply reduce the services we can provide. We wish the Governor and Legislature would use the same effort to protect local control on a variety of other issues.”
Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram agreed with Flora.
“The initiative was an affront to good governance practices, as it allowed large corporations to avoid paying their fair share of infrastructure and other service-related costs associated with their projects,” Ingram said. “Additionally, the initiative was so vague and poorly written that it would likely have had the unintended consequence of making it even more difficult for developers to complete projects in California. It targeted many of the tools developers commonly use to fund their projects.”
Putting the blame on government, bureaucrats
In the initiative’s findings, it blames California’s challenges — including poverty and homelessness — on its cost of living. “State and local governments’ appetite for new revenue adds to the rapidly rising costs of living that Californians face for housing, childcare, gasoline, food, energy, healthcare, and education.”
Proponents also faulted “unelected bureaucrats” who, “empowered by politicians and the courts, have nearly unchecked ability to raise additional costs on consumers by imposing so-called ‘fees’ and other costs without a vote of a single elected body.”
The Supreme Court was careful to stress that it was focused on the question of following the law for changing the state constitution, and that its members were not weighing the initiative’s social and economic wisdom or its general propriety.
“We typically review constitutional challenges to an initiative after an election in order to avoid disrupting the electoral process and the exercise of the franchise,” the decision explained.
However, the justices noted that preelection review is proper for challenges that address the electorate’s power to adopt the proposal in the first place.
Referencing another case challenged on the basis of constitutional revision rather than an amendment, the decision explained that the justices find preelection review to be appropriate because in circumstance where waiting after the election would defeat “the constitutionally contemplated procedure” and “contribute to an increasing cynicism on the part of the electorate with respect to the efficacy of the initiative process.”
The decision added that invalid ballot measures steal time, money and attention from valid ballot propositions, and will add to confusion, and denigrate the initiative process.
“No amount of funding from wealthy corporations will change the fact that the California Supreme Court decided the Taxpayer Deception Act is unconstitutional. It’s great news for cities and their residents that this dangerous initiative will not move forward this year, and local officials can now keep their focus on delivering vital local services,” said League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman.
Graham Knaus, CEO of the California State Association of Counties, said the measure, which was retroactive, would have crippled essential government functions by cutting off funding for the essential services provided by our counties, from public health and safety to emergency response and environmental protection.
“Moreover, the needs of our 58 counties are unique and CSAC strongly believes that local voters and elected leaders must have the right to self-govern by passing measures that meet the needs of their local communities on how their tax dollars should be spent,” Knaus said.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to take this dangerous initiative off the ballot avoids a host of catastrophic impacts, protecting billions of dollars for schools, access to reproductive healthcare, gun safety laws that keep students safe in classrooms, and paid family leave,” Underland added.
Expecting the same proposal in a new form
The proposed ballot initiative is the latest in a series of attempts to hamstring governments from being able to pursue fees and taxes for services provided to taxpayers.
While these efforts have been framed in the guise of protecting taxpayers, government officials from across the spectrum have said they will have the reverse effect, and they have raised the alarm about how they would impact the ability to provide the services community members expect.
In May of 2022, voter Initiative No. 21-0042A1 — also named the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act and also sponsored by the California Business Roundtable — failed to get the signatures needed to qualify for that year’s November election.
In February of 2022, the Clearlake and Lakeport city councils had voted to oppose that initiative at the request of the League of California cities.
Like its latest iteration, opponents said the effort was backed by wealthy corporations.
Ruderman had presciently warned in 2022 that there were indications that the measure would be brought back this year, as it was.
Both Flora and Ingram warn that the issue is far from over.
Flora told the Clearlake City Council on Thursday evening about the Supreme Court’s decision. “I feel like that was a good win for this year,” but he cautioned that it hasn’t been the only effort of its kind.
He told Lake County News, “I have no doubt the California Business Roundtable, the consortium of large businesses behind the measure, will try to bring this back in a different form, so we must keep an eye out, but it is a fortunate outcome for now.”
Ingram agreed. “Unfortunately, as Alan mentioned, it is likely that this initiative will resurface in a different form in the not-too-distant future.”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters responded to multiple fires in Lake County on Wednesday, as major wildland fires continued to burn elsewhere around the region.
On Wednesday afternoon, one fire after another occurred in Lake County, beginning with a small fire on Wilkinson Road in Kelseyville that was quickly controlled, which was then followed by the beginning of the Scotts fire in the Scotts Valley area, which began shortly after 2 p.m.
Firefighters arriving at the scene were challenged in accessing the fire by an unrated bridge that raised a potential weight issue for fire equipment being the only entry point, besides the creekbed.
In addition to engines and other ground units, Cal Fire air resources were used to fight the fire.
The fire burned a barn as well as vegetation, based on radio reports.
There also was a report of a firefighter that needed to be taken off the line due to difficulty breathing. The firefighter was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for treatment, according to radio reports.
Lakeport Fire units were released by 6 p.m. However, Cal Fire continued to work the fire into the night. By nightfall, the fire was reported to be 38 acres with 15% containment.
As the work on the Scotts fire was underway, a fire in the 6800 block of Hammond Avenue in Nice was reported just before 3 p.m.
With firefighters on the north end of the lake already committed to the Scotts fire, dispatch called for more units to come from the south county.
Firefighters arriving on the scene shortly after 3 p.m. found an estimated half-acre fire. Minutes later, it measured an acre in size and was starting to burn a structure.
By 3:20 p.m., the sheriff’s office had issued an evacuation order for the immediate area, opening an evacuation point at Upper Lake High School’s gymnasium later in the afternoon.
The Hammond Avenue fire was reported to be contained at 6:20 p.m., with two hours of mop up required. It burned a total of 1.2 acres.
The sheriff’s office said that, as of 6:45 p.m., the evacuation warning for zones NIC-E042 and NIC-E047B had been reduced to normal, and the evacuation order for zone NIC-E047A reduced to a warning.
Firefighting efforts continue around the region
Efforts to contain wildland fires in Lake’s neighboring counties continued on Wednesday.
In Sonoma County, the Point fire — burning since Sunday afternoon — remained at 1,207 acres, with containment up to 60%.
One firefighter has been injured, with three structures destroyed and two damaged, Cal Fire reported.
Cal Fire said that 1,011 personnel are assigned, along with 85 engines, 12 water tenders, nine dozers and 32 hand crews.
On the other side of Lake County, the Sites fire continued growing in Colusa County on Wednesday.
The fire, burning since Monday southeast of Stonyford, reached 19,124 by day’s end, with containment at 10%.
The Sites fire is threatening 326 structures, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire said there are 107 engines, 18 water tenders, seven helicopters, 16 dozers, 18 hand crews and 741 personnel assigned to the incident.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Wednesday afternoon wildfire has prompted evacuations in Nice.
The fire in the 6800 block of Hammond Avenue was first reported just before 3 p.m.
As of 15 minutes after dispatch, the fire was reported to be an acre in size and starting to burn a structure.
Firefighting resources were stretched thin at that point as firefighters had been called to a fire on Wilkinson Road in Kelseyville and then a barn and vegetation fire in Scotts Valley, requiring engines and other units to respond from the south county, based on radio traffic.
At 3:20 p.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for zone NIC-E047 due to the fire in Nice.
“There is an IMMEDIATE threat to life and property to anyone in the impacted zones. Gather household members, pets and essential items (including medication), lock your home and leave now. Dial 9-1-1 if you have a life-threatening emergency ONLY; not for information,” the alert said.
The sheriff’s office said the evacuation area is north of Lakeshore Boulevard, south of Highway 20 at Point Lands Farm Road, east of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff and west of Collier Avenue.
Shortly before 5 p.m., the sheriff’s office updated the evacuation areas, reporting that NIC-047B, a split zone of NIC-047, was for the area west of Hammond Avenue and was for a warning, while the area east of Hammond Avenue remained under an evacuation order. More about zone numbers can be found at https://protect.genasys.com.
Authorities also have established a temporary evacuation point at Upper Lake High School’s gymnasium at 675 Clover Valley Road for those evacuated due to the wildland fire.
At 6:20 p.m., the fire was reported to be contained, with two hours of mop up. The fire burned 1.2 acres.
Updates will be published as they become available.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — One person died and two others were injured in a solo vehicle wreck near Middletown Thursday evening.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the crash occurred just before 4:30 p.m. on Highway 29 north of Western Mine Road.
Minutes later, CHP officers were dispatched to the wreck, the report said.
A preliminary investigation indicated the unidentified adult male driver was driving a 2003 Toyota Camry northbound on Highway 29 at a high rate-of-speed.
For reasons pending further investigation, the driver lost control of the Toyota and it struck a tree east of the roadway, the CHP said. Radio traffic indicated that the vehicle sustained major damage.
As a result of the crash, the CHP said the driver and one of two male adult passengers sustained major injuries. They were transported by helicopter to a hospital in Santa Rosa.
The second passenger — whose identification is pending next-of-kin notification — sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by Cal Fire, the CHP said.
All occupants were wearing their safety belts. The CHP said alcohol use is suspected to be a factor in the crash.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Five Star Towing also responded to the scene and assisted CHP.
Highway 29 at the crash scene was reduced to one-way traffic control during the course of the on-scene investigation, the CHP said.
The wreck is being investigated by CHP Officer A. Sanchez.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Is renting getting you down? Are you dreaming of owning your own home?
Habitat for Humanity Lake County is actively accepting applications for its Homeownership Program.
The stability and security of homeownership is one of the greatest gifts a family can have. The pride in one’s home and the benefits it offers to the family unit are a boon to the community, helping to make Lake County a better place for all of us, Habitat said.
Habitat for Humanity Lake County said it is here to help make that happen for qualifying, deserving families in our communities.
Applicants must have lived in Lake County for at least one year, be willing to partner with Habitat in the construction of their home, present a positive attitude towards the process and be income-qualified.
If you, or someone you know, are interested and might qualify, please contact the Habitat office at 707-994-1100 for more information or come into the office at 15312 Lakeshore Drive Clearlake to receive a pre-application. For assistance in Spanish dial extension 108.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — A wildland fire that began earlier this week in Colusa County has continued to grow rapidly in size.
The Sites fire reached 15,656 acres and 5% containment by Tuesday night.
Thirty structures are under threat from the fire, Cal Fire reported.
The fire began burning on Monday afternoon on Sites Lodoga Road and Wilson Creek, southeast of Stonyford.
It’s pushed south, close to Lake County, although Cal Fire has reported that it is not endangering Lake County.
Cal Fire said numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow.
There are 638 personnel, 34 engines, 15 water tenders, seven helicopters, 16 dozers and 18 hand crews assigned to the incident, Cal Fire said.
On Tuesday, evacuation orders were issued for Leesville Lodoga Road South to Leesville Road, Leesville to Huffmaster Road, Huffmaster Road to Maxwell Sites Road, Leesville Road to Antelope Valley Ranch and North from Antelope Valley Ranch, and Sites Lodoga Road at Sites, where there is a hard road closure.
Evacuation warnings are in place for the area south of Leesville Road along Bear Valley Road to Highway 20, and Highway 20 east to Leesville Road.
The Colusa Veterans Hall at 108 E. Main St. in Colusa is open for shelter needs, Cal Fire said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Firefighters on Thursday gained more ground on major wildland fire incidents in Lake’s neighboring counties and fully contained a smaller incident in Lake County.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Scotts fire broke out in Scotts Valley, as Lake County News has reported.
Cal Fire said it was fully contained on Thursday at 50 acres.
The largest fire in the region, the Sites near Stonyford in Colusa County, grew to 19,195 acres on Thursday — an increase of only 71 acres after having jumped in size every day since it began on Monday afternoon.
Containment on the fire doubled to 20% on Thursday, while 326 structures remain threatened.
Fire crews are continuing to reinforce control lines around the massive fire, which Cal Fire said is burning primarily in oak woodland. High temperatures and low humidity remain a concern in bringing it to full containment.
At the same time, evacuation orders and warnings remain in place, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire said 1,899 personnel are assigned. Other resources include 122 engines, 20 water tenders, 18 helicopters, 20 dozers and 58 hand crews.
In Sonoma County, the Point fire was held at 1,207 acres while containment rose to 75% on Thursday.
That incident has injured one firefighter, destroyed three structured and damaged two others, Cal Fire said.
Resources including 558 personnel, 50 engines, nine water tenders, eight dozers and 24 hand crews continue to work on the Point fire, burning near Geyserville since Sunday.
Cal Fire said crews are continuing to mop up and secure lines around the fire, and to make fire suppression repairs.
In addition, all evacuations have been lifted, Cal Fire said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Children can be exposed to lead by swallowing or inhaling soil while they are playing. Young children often put their hands in their mouths and may have dirt on their hands. Kids and pets also can track lead dust from soil indoors. And anyone who eats fruit or vegetables grown in contaminated soil can ingest lead.
Early in 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lowered the screening level for lead in residential soils from 400 parts per million – a standard that was more than 30 years old – to 200 parts per million. This more protective lower number reflects current understanding of soil as a significance source of lead exposure for children.
EPA officials said that at homes exposed to lead from multiple sources, the agency will generally use a more conservative 100 parts per million screening level.
This new level is not a cleanup standard; it’s a threshold at which the EPA will make site-specific decisions about how to protect people there. Actions may include providing information about soil lead, recommending ways to reduce exposure, or removing the leaded soil and replacing it with clean soil.
The standard is designed to guide EPA assessments of residential soils around polluted sites under two federal laws. The Superfund law addresses hazardous wastes that were improperly created or disposed of before 1976, while the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act governs hazardous waste generation and disposal from that year forward. More than 4,000 sites across the nation are currently being cleaned up under those two laws.
I study urban lead poisoning in children from soil and other sources, and I have worked with colleagues to analyze tens of thousands of soil samples collected from typical homes by research scientists and by citizens across the U.S.. This work is ongoing, but our newly published findings show that under the new EPA standard, potentially harmful lead exposure from soil is far more widespread than many people – including public officials – realize. Reducing this risk will be a very long-term effort.
A toxic legacy
Lead exposure has blighted communities across the U.S., particularly lower-income communities of color. Many factors have contributed, including lead in gasoline, water pipes and paint. In addition, redlining and other policies have trapped vulnerable families in substandard housing that often contains lead paint and is located in areas heavily polluted by traffic and industrial sources.
Since the federal government started severely limiting the production and use of lead in the 1970s, the share of children in the U.S. who are considered lead-affected, based on current standards, has fallen dramatically. This means that for tens of millions of U.S. children, the risk of being cognitively impaired by lead exposure is greatly reduced. In the 1970s, this figure was near 100%; today it is about 1%, which equates to some 500,000 children.
But many urban children are still exposed to lead at unsafe levels, and soil exposure isn’t addressed by laws that have reduced other lead sources. Lead in soil is the residue of degraded lead-based paint, pollution deposited by cars that burned leaded gasoline for decades, and emissions from factories and industrial facilities.
Lead in soil is a widespread risk
Our national analysis of samples collected from 16 cities found that out of 15,595 household soil samples, 12.3% – one in every eight – exceeded the old federal screening level of 400 parts per million. When the standard is adjusted down to the proposed level of 200 parts per million, 23.7% of households – nearly 1 in 4 – contain a lead hazard.
These samples were typically collected in sets, with one sample near the exterior walls of a home, where highest soil lead values are expected; another from the yard; and a third from near the street, which can also record elevated lead levels.
If our findings are extrapolated across the nation, they indicate that up to roughly 29 million households out of the 123.6 million that were recorded in the 2020 census could be exposed to soil lead hazards and should take steps to mitigate them. Applying the EPA’s aspirational goal of 100 parts per million, our analysis indicates that some 40.2% of households could be affected – equivalent to nearly 50 million households nationwide.
Not all communities in our research have similar risk profiles. In Chicago, for example, 52.8% of household soils that we tested contained more than 200 parts per million of lead. Samples from parts of several medium-sized cities, including Springfield, Massachusetts, and Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee, had comparable percentages.
It is difficult to fully assess city-specific soil lead burdens, for several reasons. First, the citizen science dataset that we used in our analysis was collected by private citizens using certain guidelines, not under the strict scientific protocols that the EPA would follow. Second, there is no other systematic, comprehensive measurement of household soil lead values across the U.S. that could be used to assess the accuracy of the community science samples.
Capping soil as a first step
Because so little data on lead soil values exists, it’s not yet possible to determine which particular households have the greatest potential risk. Without that information, the real cost of mitigating this problem is also unknown.
Full remediation, which involves removing contaminated soils and replacing them with clean soils, can cost from US$10,000 to $30,000 per household. Typically, the cost of this type of voluntary cleanup is borne by the homeowner, although some states may have assistance programs.
At this rate, the price tag for mitigating all households nationwide that we project to have soil above the new EPA standard would range from $290 billion to over $1.1 trillion. Household soil remediation involves many steps, including soil testing and monitoring dust levels. If it is done poorly, it can actually scatter lead-contaminated soils and dust beyond the mitigation site.
Given this projected price tag, my colleagues and I do not expect such a program to be proposed any time soon. However, there’s a faster and much cheaper strategy: capping existing soils with clean soil or mulch. This is an imperfect solution, but it solves the immediate lead exposure problem for children living in these settings.
Capping isn’t a permanent answer, since land cover can be disturbed, which would make lead-enriched soils an active risk once again. But even covering a contaminated site with clean soils will permanently dilute the site’s total lead concentration. Nearly all lead deposited from human activities is captured in the upper 10 inches of soils. Adding another 10 inches of clean soil on top would cut the soil lead concentration by half.
It’s a cliche but nonetheless true that the solution for pollution often is dilution. I see this simple strategy as an immediate way for cities to start addressing their new lead challenge.
As spring phases into summer across the U.S., kids are spending more time outdoors. Playing outside is healthy in all kinds of ways, but it also poses some risks. One that many families may not be aware of is exposure to lead in soil, which is still a serious problem, mainly in cities.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors will hold special meetings this week for the purpose of considering the new fiscal year budget.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday, June 20, and Friday, June 21, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
On Thursday, the board will hold a draft budget hearing for the Lake County Air Quality Management District.
Also on Thursday and continuing into Friday, the supervisors will consider the recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25 for the county of Lake and special districts governed by the Board of Supervisors and
The proposed 2024-25 budget totals $396,621,387 across all funds, compared to $383,115,631 for the 2023-24 budget.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.