In April 2003, the United States Environmental Protection Agency placed Omaha on the National Priority List for Superfund cleanup. The Omaha site is the largest residential site in the country covering the area from 45th Street to the river and from Ames to L Streets. The cleanup of Omaha’s lead contaminated yards could cost $150,000,000 with the state responsible for 10% of the costs. EPA determined that Asarco, Union Pacific and Gould Battery were the primary sources of lead in the soil with Asarco being the largest contributor.

To date, starting in 1999, the EPA has devoted approximately $18 million to Omaha, with the monies going to site investigation, testing and emergency work. EPA requested $2.5 million for testing of yards in the Superfund area but received only $1 million. More than 1,000 communities compete each year for some of the $1.3 billion cleanup fund. Omaha has yet to get to the cleanup phase. There is concern regarding the cleanup activities now that the Bush administration is cutting funding for Superfund work.

From 1998 when EPA came to investigate the Omaha site at the request of Councilman Frank Brown until April 2003, yards were tested where child care centers and homes were located and where a child with an elevated blood lead level (at and over 10 µg/dL) resided. Where the soil tested above the level of 400 ppm, 12 inches of soil was removed and replaced in those yards at a cost of approximately $15,000 per yard.

EPA sent letters to property owners in the Omaha Superfund site area requesting permission to sample soil in their yards. The response was not as great as expected. This past year EPA has sampled approximately 13,000 yards and would have sampled 5,000 to 7,000 more yards with additional funding. Soil samples are taken from four parts of the yard and along the dripline of the house. The yard is divided into quadrants. A request was also made for homes where interior dust would be tested. Only 160 homes from 550 homes desired as random sampling responded and will be used to determine the risk level. EPA is using this information to determine the risk level of lead in the soil which could be as high as 1200 ppm.

Ultimately, EPA expects to test about 40,000 yards in the Superfund area. Thousands of yards in Omaha are believed to be contaminated with lead as the result of more than a century of industrial air pollution making Omaha the largest residential project the EPA has ever undertaken. It is expected to take at least another fifteen or more years to complete the project.

Meanwhile, hundreds of children living or visiting in the Superfund site area could be exposed to lead in the soil and become lead poisoned leading to behavioral problems, learning disabilities, mental retardation and slow development. In addition, this area also has an abundance of older homes pre 1950 with lead based paint which also contributes to lead poisoning.

Union Pacific Railroad has hired Brenda Council to facilitate a Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the Omaha Lead Superfund site. The first meeting was held January 20. Three LWV members have been asked to serve on the CAG and provide advice to EPA as they prepare to start work in Omaha. The members are Janet Bonet, Jonah Deppe and Barba Edwards. The CAG will review technical issues and make recommend-ations to EPA on the best way to work in the Omaha community.

In addition, Governor Johanns has established a Superfund Task Force to be the “eyes and ears” for the governor on issues relating to the Superfund activities. Janet Bonet and Jonah Deppe serve on the Task Force.

There is also a Lead Safe Omaha Coalition which has been educating the affected community regarding lead poisoning and its effect on children and adults living in the community. Clyde Anderson, Janet Bonet, Jonah Deppe and Melissa Gardner are members of this group and have been active for the past four years.

EPA will also be funding a Technical Advisory Group (TAG). A community group from the affected community would receive a grant to hire a technical advisor to review EPA work and explain technical aspects of the work to the community.

The League has presented an education proposal to EPA to provide education to Omaha residents regarding Superfund National Priorities and the process used. This would become part of the LWV Speakers Bureau and keep Omaha residents informed regarding progress and the effect on the total Omaha community.

For more information on the Omaha Superfund go to the Omaha World-Herald's site at www.omaha.com and see the page “Omaha and the Superfund”. In addition, the www.epa.gov site has information on Superfund activities.

(Deppe and Bonet are Sierra Club members.)