California can prevent wildfires without abandoning safety, environmental protections

As a wildfire survivor, I’m passionate about reducing wildfire risk. 

More than a year after I evacuated my house in the Palisades Fire, I remain displaced. My house survived the wildfire, but it’s uninhabitable after fire retardant laden with toxic heavy metals was dropped onto our neighborhood. 

Though I’m eager to see California adopt regulations that would reduce future fire risk, I’ve witnessed how rushing wildfire mitigation projects carries its own risks. These projects must be implemented responsibly and with protections for public health, the environment and biodiversity. 

Newly introduced Senate Bill 1370, by state Sens. Henry Stern and Josh Becker, would do the opposite. It would waive most state environmental regulations for projects related to wildfire prevention.

Read more here.