Pueblo Mayor urges residents in Superfund Site to get soil tested for levels of arsenic and lead
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar is urging residents living within the affected Superfund Site to get their soil tested to see if it has any contamination before the EPA leaves town in about a year.
"They'll come and test your property for free, test your house for free, and if they find contamination, they'll clean it up for free," Gradisar told KRDO.
More than a century ago, the Colorado Smelter Site was a silver and lead smelter that operated in the Eilers and Bessemer neighborhoods. While the smelter has since shut down, the site's footprint left behind lingers in the soil.
"It's arsenic and lead, and those are the kind of things that are not good for young children. You wouldn't want to have that in a playground for instance," Gradisar said.
In 2014, the United States Environmental Protection Agency listed the site on the National Priorities List. Toxic levels of lead and arsenic slag, the by-product of separating silver from other minerals in the smelting process, were found in neighborhood soils.
"Children are playing in their backyards and front yards in lead-contaminated soil. It's important to get that removed as quickly as possible," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to KRDO in 2020. "Lead in soil is particularly bad for children. It's a toxin for developmental purposes for children that have been shown to lower IQ points."
The tests can be expensive, and Gradisar says it's also important for the future value of your home.
"In the future, the city's probably going to adopt an ordinance that puts a special zone district for this area, which will require you to get testing and remediation on your own dime."
According to the EPA, there are approximately 1,700 residential parcels in the preliminary study area. That covers a half-mile radius from the former smelter smokestack. The EPA says 95% of the homes are pre-1978, before the lead paint ban.
Since the confirmation of toxic levels, the EPA began the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study RI/FS. In September, the EPA revised the study to include 100 more residential properties adjacent to areas where high levels of lead or arsenic were found.
In July of 2020, the EPA told KRDO the soil cleanup was 47% complete, putting the entire project on track to finish in 2023.
Tuesday, the EPA provided KRDO with updated sampling and cleanup numbers. As of November 30, 2021, the EPA has completed:
- 91% of soil sampling
- 62% of dust sampling
- 81% of estimated soil cleanups
- 45% of estimated dust cleanups.
If a property is confirmed with elevated levels of arsenic or lead, the soil will be scooped away and replaced with either sod or xeriscape landscaping. Additionally, residents who have children in the designated Superfund Site are advised to have their blood tested for lead and arsenic levels.
To get tested, call or text (720)-512-1917.
