UCLA Fielding's Prof. Hamid Arabzadeh named to California state task force on wildfire smoke remediation

Prof. Hamid Arabzadeh, UCLA Fielding School professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, has been named to a newly-created state panel set up to develop statewide smoke remediation standards to provide clear guidance after wildfire catastrophes.

The task force was organized as part of the state's response to the smoke damage caused by wildfires across California, including the recent Palisades and Eaton fires, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has appointed members to his new Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force.

"I am honored to have been appointed to the task force by Commissioner Lara to assist in development of a set of science based guidelines for evaluation and remediation wildfires impacts," said Arabzadeh, a fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association who is also board certified in industrial hygiene and both safety and hazardous materials management.

In a statement, Lara said the task force, led by the California Department of Insurance, includes state and local public health experts, fire safety experts, smoke remediation specialists, industrial hygienists, consumer advocates, and representatives from the insurance industry. Together, they will recommend science-based insurance standards and best practices for safely returning to and restoring homes and personal property.

Read the state release.