Nearly 6,500 Southeast Los Angeles homes cleaned, marking major milestone in Exide lead cleanup effort

VERNON, Calif. (KABC) -- Southeast Los Angeles communities affected by decades of toxic lead contamination have reached a major cleanup milestone, with nearly 6,500 homes now cleaned, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday.

The work is part of one of the largest residential lead cleanup efforts in the country, and addresses pollution left by the former Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon. Toxic lead from the facility contaminated soil around thousands of homes in surrounding neighborhoods.

The state has spent more than half a billion dollars on the cleanup. According to Newsom, the nearly 6,500 homes completed represent about 80% of eligible properties where the owners have granted access.

The state has also completed cleanup work at all 12 schools, 68 child care centers and five parks included in the project. More than 7,800 areas along streets and sidewalks have also been cleaned.

Residents have spent years raising concerns about the soil around their homes and demanding government action.

Some of the same Southeast Los Angeles communities were affected by the Lineage warehouse fire this summer, after which residents said they were tired of confronting environmental problems in their neighborhoods.

Eyewitness News spoke to one woman who lives and works in the community. Antonia Dominguez said she remembers the Exide battery plant controversy just as well as she remembers the Lineage warehouse fire from this summer.

"Well, Exide really hurt this community, because it's already a low-income area with small businesses. And then the Lineage warehouse fire happens. And now they're rebuilding, planning to put up another building, moving on with their lives. But what about the small businesses and the people who live here? How are we expected to recover again?" Dominguez asked in Spanish.

Lead exposure can cause serious health problems, especially among young children, including damage to the brain and nervous system, learning disabilities, behavioral problems and delayed development. Some families also have raised concerns about cancer and other illnesses they believe could be connected to the pollution.

The history of the Exide plant goes back decades. The facility in Vernon recycled lead-acid batteries for years, but it also released toxic pollution into surrounding communities.

The plant shut down in 2015 after years of environmental violations, leaving behind contaminated soil in thousands of nearby yards.

When Exide filed for bankruptcy in 2020, the state was left dealing with much of the cleanup.

About 1,500 eligible properties still await completed cleanup work, according to the state, which said the effort is ongoing.