Yesterday, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut) and Tim Sheehy (Republican-Montana) and U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (Democrat-California), Gus Bilirakis (Republican-Florida), and James Moylan (Republican-Guam) introduced the Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act to strengthen protections for military families living in privatized housing. U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (Republican-Iowa) and Mazie Hirono (Democrat-Hawaii) were the original cosponsors.

An estimated 700,000 servicemembers and their families are affected by hazardous conditions in military-provided housing, including prolonged mold exposure, which is associated with elevated risks of respiratory illnesses, neurological symptoms, developmental delays in children, and other severe health effects.

The MOLD Act addresses these conditions by setting enforceable health and safety standards, mandating independent inspections, and requiring transparency in reporting habitability issues such as water damage, humidity, and mold. Among its key provisions, the legislation would require the Secretary of Defense to ensure that all maintenance personnel, contracted mold assessors, indoor environmental professionals, and mold remediation professionals working in military housing possess and maintain independent, third-party certifications, including the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification’s (IICRC) Applied Microbial Remediation Technician and Mold Remediation Specialist certifications.

In addition, the bill mandates that all mold remediation activities conducted in covered military housing comply with the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation, the nationally recognized consensus standard that defines the industry standard of care for mold remediation projects.

“The MOLD Act will require strict health and safety standards, independent inspections, and financial accountability for contractors,” Blumenthal said. “This bipartisan, bicameral reform deserves quick passage so servicemembers and their families have a safe place to call home.”

“The MOLD Act will help ensure that privatized military housing is up to standard with frequent inspections, proper repairs and renditions, and better response times by landlords,” Panetta said. “This legislation is our way to ensure that military readiness starts at home.”

The MOLD Act is endorsed by Change the Air Foundation, Blue Star Families, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Safe Military Housing Initiative, Military Housing Coalition, National Military Families Association, IICRC, and the National Organization of Remediators and Microbial Inspectors (NORMI).

The IICRC plans to continue working on Capitol Hill to serve as a technical resource to policymakers and stakeholders as the MOLD Act advances through the legislative process.

“This legislation shows that IICRC’s advocacy work and strategic alliances with other stakeholders is paying off,” said Robbie Bradshaw, IICRC director of government relations. “We’ve spent more than five years engaging with Members of Congress to move legislation like this forward.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday said it will conduct soil sampling at randomly selected properties in the Eaton fire area to help residents validate the effectiveness of Los Angeles wildfire cleanup efforts and develop best practices for future wildfire responses nationwide. This voluntary effort is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

The sampling will focus on lead, based on scientific evidence from an extensive study conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in September 2025. 

EPA will collect soil samples at two depths, at the bottom of excavations completed during debris removal and approximately 6 inches below, to measure lead concentrations and develop a statistical model that will inform future wildfire response protocols. 

The county’s study, which analyzed various contaminants including heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, and furans, found that lead was the only fire-related pollutant detected across the Eaton area after debris removal. 

To ensure accuracy, EPA is applying an incremental sampling methodology that provides a reliable average of contaminant levels across each property. Crews will collect 30 small soil samples from different locations on each parcel, combine them into a composite sample, and send it for laboratory testing. This approach offers a more representative picture of site conditions than testing from just a few individual points.

The sampling effort will document post-cleanup soil conditions, confirm that cleanup methods successfully addressed contamination, and establish evidence-based protocols that will strengthen wildfire response efforts nationwide.

EPA is working closely with LA County, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and other partners throughout this process. Individual property owners will receive reports with their lead results and guidance on available resources from local and state agencies. EPA will also share aggregated findings with county officials to support long-term recovery and resilience planning. Results from the sampling effort are expected by the end of spring 2026.