OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A massive cleanup operation continues in Omaha after an environmental catastrophe put people’s health in danger, with nearly 43,000 homeowners having had their soil tested for lead levels over the past two decades.
A team of investigative journalists are now working to verify that everything was done correctly to address Omaha’s lead contamination problem. Flatwater Free Press investigative reporter Chris Bowling is following up on how effective the remediation work by the Environmental Protection Agency and City of Omaha was.
“This is the largest residential superfund site for lead in the nation. It just seems like a really good idea to have somebody come in and say, are things safe now?” Bowling said. “If it’s been really successful, what lessons can we take to other places? And if there are problems, can we address those and fix those for people?”
Superfund site history
The superfund site covers a 25-square-mile area east of 50th Street, created by the EPA after lead contamination was found to have come from a smelting plant that operated along the Missouri River from the early 1870s until 1997…