EPA collecting soil at properties within Superfund area

Albert Galich grew up playing on the Colorado Smelter slag pile in the Eilers neighborhood.

The Environmental Protection Agency found that former smelter, which closed more than 100 years ago, left behind high levels of lead and arsenic.

On Thursday, a EPA field crew was collecting soil samples from Galich’s front and backyard on the 1100 block of Eilers Street, looking for traces of toxic metals.

“I’m kind of hoping that they don’t find any contamination, but if they do they say they’re going to clean it up and that’s a positive thing,” Galich said.

Galich’s property is one of a dozen being tested by the EPA this month as part of a pilot phase.

EPA remedial project manager Sabrina Forrest said the pilot project allows the EPA to test sampling equipment and its sampling process, before it begins large-scale testing this summer. About 1,900 properties are in the Superfund area. The EPA has received permission from homeowners to test about 500 properties, but it’s not clear how many of those will be tested.

“At this time, I don’t know if all 1,900 of those homes will need to be sampled. As we start getting more data, we’ll be able to refine where we’re seeing contamination, if we’re seeing contamination related to the former Colorado smelter,” Forrest said.

It will take several months before the EPA receives the results from Galich’s property — but he’s eager to see them.

“It’s kind of like a bad label to have, saying your properties contaminated. So I just want it out in the open and if it is contaminated, clean it up. And they say they will do that. I’m hoping they’re not gonna find anything. I’m hoping that my soil is clean,” Galich said.