Los Angeles Court Grants Pasadena Warrant to Inspect 3 John Muir Trees Amid 193-Tree Dispute
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 12
Los Angeles Court Grants Pasadena Warrant to Inspect 3 John Muir Trees Amid 193-Tree Dispute
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 12
Summary
A Los Angeles County Superior Court warrant let Pasadena send a certified arborist to inspect three American sweet gum trees at John Muir High School after activists halted cutting there Thursday.
The inspection fight sits inside a broader cleanup plan to remove 193 trees across 11 school sites so 13,000 tons of fire-contaminated soil with elevated lead and arsenic can be excavated before classes resume in August.
Pasadena issued a stop-work order on July 1, saying protected trees must be assessed under the city's 2002 urban-forest ordinance, but the school district says the state-supervised remediation falls outside city jurisdiction.
Community pressure already pushed the district in mid-June to consider preserving up to 57 trees and explore other cleanup methods, yet the three John Muir sweet gums are not on that list.
The dispute reflects lingering fallout 18 months after the Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people and left schools and neighborhoods grappling with toxic contamination as well as the loss of mature trees.
With school starting soon, can new methods clean toxic soil without sacrificing Pasadena's oldest trees?
When state health mandates clash with city laws, who has final say over public school land?
200 Trees, One City: Pasadena’s Legal and Environmental Battle Over School Soil Cleanup and Urban Canopy
Overview
The dispute between the City of Pasadena and Pasadena Unified School District began after a fire in January 2025 caused toxic contamination at several school sites. In response, PUSD identified 11 contaminated soil projects and started remediation efforts, which included restricting access and planning cleanup. By June 2026, PUSD announced a major toxic-soil-removal project that controversially involved removing about 200 trees, citing student safety and regulatory compliance. This decision sparked community outcry and legal conflict with the City, highlighting tensions between environmental protection, public health, and jurisdictional authority over school property.