The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has touted its lead cleanup in Omaha as a success, but an investigation by Flatwater Free Press found that many residential yards still contain toxic levels of lead. The findings, published Tuesday, contradict the agency’s public messaging about the scope of the remediation effort.
Flatwater Free Press reports that soil tests in numerous yards across the city continue to show lead concentrations above federal safety thresholds. The outlet’s investigation suggests the EPA’s own assessment of the cleanup does not match the reality on the ground for many homeowners.
The Omaha cleanup is part of a long-running federal effort to address lead contamination in the area, which stems from decades of emissions from a former lead smelter. The EPA has historically described its work as a model for urban soil remediation, but the new reporting raises questions about whether the agency’s criteria for declaring success are too narrow or whether some properties were overlooked.
The investigation did not specify how many yards were tested or the exact levels found, but the presence of any toxic hotspots undermines the agency’s claim that the job is done. Flatwater Free Press is a nonprofit newsroom focused on Nebraska and Iowa, and its reporting has previously highlighted gaps in environmental enforcement.
What to watch next: Whether the EPA responds to the findings by reopening testing in Omaha or revising its definition of a completed cleanup.
