Residents press Sierra Madre council over dioxin discovery, ask city to pause work at Meadows site

A cluster of Sierra Madre residents told the City Council on Feb. 10 that recent soil testing at the Meadows at Bailey Canyon development found dioxins at roughly three times conservative residential screening levels and urged the city to halt all excavation until independent confirmation sampling was complete.

Senior planner Wolf said the city had required a soil remediation plan after testing showed elevated dioxin levels in grid FS2, that a grading permit issued Jan. 29 included a remediation condition, and that remediation work began this week with water trucks, plastic‑lined stockpiles and containment measures in place. "On January 29, a grading permit was issued, with the condition for soil remediation," Wolf reported, adding that the city had affirmed a plan to remediate "100 cubic yards of soil in the top 12 inches of grid FS2" and that excavation and containment procedures were in effect.

Multiple speakers living adjacent to the site described seeing trenching and soil movement before residents received results and said those activities risked redistributing contaminated materials. "Soil test results show dioxins at approximately 3 times the residential screening level," said Dr. Christine Kuderian, a property owner next to the project, adding that residents have observed "significant trenching and soil disruption" across multiple areas before remediation or confirmation sampling were complete. Several speakers said children live near the site and expressed immediate health concerns; one speaker, Lisa Puleo, said she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma after the Eaton Canyon fire, which she linked to chronic dermatitis and possible toxin exposure.

Council members and staff described steps taken to reduce dust and limit spread, including a hotline and weekly "look‑ahead" schedules between the developer and neighbors. Wolf said Group Delta, a city‑hired third party, reviewed Hillman Consulting’s plan and Hillman revised the soil management plan in response; Wolf said neighbors were assigned a direct contact with the developer for weekly updates and that the city would hold a pre‑construction meeting with contractor, geotechnical engineers and staff.

Residents asked who would be held liable if remediation failed and whether the city or the developer should have initiated testing earlier. Council members did not take immediate action to pause work but several called for more transparent, on‑the‑ground reporting and for the matter to be scheduled for a formal agenda item and follow‑up. The city clerk was directed to ensure the testing reports and remediation documentation remain easy for residents to find and that staff return with a detailed sequence of events and confirmation‑sampling plan at an upcoming meeting.