The Exide plant in Vernon closed 3 years ago. The vast majority of lead-contaminated properties remain uncleaned
(LA Times Environment)

Lupe Perez knows the soil outside her Boyle Heights apartment is contaminated with lead. But it´s not easy keeping her 3-year-old daughter away from a yard riddled with the brain-damaging poison. `I try to tell her not to touch the dirt or play with the dirt, but, I mean, she´s going to step on...