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SGV Soil & Land Quality
Environmental Trifecta · Pillar 3CalEnviroScreen 4.0

SGV Soil & Land Quality

The San Gabriel Valley sits atop a 170-square-mile Superfund groundwater plume, within range of an active lead smelter, and downwind of one of California's most contaminated industrial corridors. This guide covers what's in the soil, where the contamination comes from, and how to protect yourself and your community — including safe gardening practices and free testing resources.

Environmental Trifecta — Know Your SGV

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Water

PFAS, Cr-VI

🌬️

Air

PM2.5, Ozone

🌱

Soil

Lead, VOCs

4

EPA Superfund Sites

170 sq mile plume

10,300

ppm Lead Recorded

Near Quemetco smelter

10,000+

Properties Impacted

Exide cleanup zone

80

ppm DTSC Threshold

Residential soil limit

Major Contamination Sites

Five significant soil and land contamination sources affecting the San Gabriel Valley, from industrial legacy sites to post-wildfire ash contamination.

Quemetco / Ecobat Battery Smelter
Active — Under Regulatory Scrutiny
City of Industry·Lead Smelter
Lead (Pb)Arsenic (As)Cadmium (Cd)Antimony (Sb)
SGV Superfund Sites (Areas 1–4)
Active Remediation
El Monte, Baldwin Park, Azusa, Whittier Narrows·EPA Superfund — Groundwater/Soil
TCEPCEVOCsChromium (Cr-VI)1,4-Dioxane
Exide Technologies (Vernon)
Cleanup Ongoing — Superfund Review
Vernon (adjacent to SGV)·Lead Battery Recycler — Superfund Candidate
Lead (Pb)Arsenic (As)Dioxins
Azusa Land Reclamation Landfill
Closed — Monitored
Azusa·Solid Waste / Landfill Gas
Landfill Gas (Methane)LeachateVOCs
Eaton Fire Ash & Soil Contamination
Active Testing & Remediation
Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre·Wildfire Ash — Post-Fire Soil
Lead (Pb)Arsenic (As)BenzeneBenzo[a]pyreneAsbestos

Take Action

Get Your Soil Tested

Free testing available for Quemetco-impacted properties and post-Eaton Fire areas. UC Davis Analytical Lab offers low-cost panels.

Look Up Your Address

Use the CalEnviroScreen interactive map to find your census tract's score and see which pollution indicators affect your neighborhood.

Join Environmental Justice SGV

EJSGV is a volunteer group working on Quemetco accountability, soil testing, and community health advocacy in the SGV.

Data sources: CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (OEHHA, 2021), EPA Superfund Site Profiles, DTSC Exide Cleanup Program, Earthjustice Quemetco Report (2021), Grist/LA Times Quemetco coverage (2024), LA County DPH Eaton Fire Soil Sampling Report (2025), UC Irvine Exide Research (2024). This page is for educational purposes. Always consult a certified environmental professional for site-specific assessments.