The EPA and the city of Omaha have been trying to clean up lead contamination for decades, after old downtown smelter activity spread toxic dust across the area.
Omaha’s Superfund map is complicated — and the risk may spill past it
In 2019, the EPA acknowledged its plan might not do enough to protect kids, and it’s since been reexamining the site. The agency is weighing whether to expand the cleanup, which could mean more residential yards getting remediated. For a lot of residents, though, the bigger problem is knowing where they stand in the first place.
Misryoum newsroom reported that journalists working with local partners collected soil samples from more than 600 yards in and around the federally designated Superfund site. Many people they met said they’d never even heard of the Superfund site—and didn’t realize they could be at risk from lead exposure. They asked practical questions, the kind you hear when someone’s standing in their own yard thinking, “Wait, could my kid be touching danger without me knowing?” One moment that stuck with residents: the awkward hush when neighbors realized a property line might determine whether the soil gets checked.
Lead poisoning happens when lead—used in paint, gasoline, and plumbing for decades—gets into the body and builds up, leading to problems like developmental delays and behavioral problems in kids. It’s more concerning for children because their bodies are still developing and they absorb more lead than adults. Misryoum editorial desk noted that adults aren’t immune either; lead exposure can be linked to high blood pressure, memory impairment, and joint and muscle pain.
For years, the guidance has been stark: there is no “safe” lead level. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a high level as 3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. If a child’s test comes back above that threshold, the Douglas County Health Department schedules an environmental risk assessment—usually including a home inspection and education on preventing exposure. The nonprofit National Center for Healthy Housing also maintains a checklist for reducing lead exposure. If a household is inside the Superfund site, residents can check soil readings through the Omaha Lead Registry, where an EPA risk model predicts that 100 parts per million or less would protect kids from developing what the CDC currently considers a high blood lead value, assuming there are no other exposures.
How Omaha tests, remediates, and tries to keep kids safe
The Omaha Superfund site is generally described as lying north of Harrison Street, south of Read Street and between 45th Street and the Missouri River. It was designated a Superfund site in 2003, meaning federal oversight of cleanup and efforts to require polluters to pay. The boundary was drawn based on the idea that fewer than 5% of residential properties tested above 400 parts per million of lead in the soil—roughly the lead concentration at which cleanup would be triggered.
If you live within that zone, the Omaha Lead Registry is one entry point. The registry reflects the highest lead level found in a yard through soil sampling done by either the EPA or the city. Residents can also request a detailed diagram from the city showing average lead levels across different parts of the yard, which can change over time if paint flakes or if dirt has been moved or covered. If your soil hasn’t been tested and you live within or near the boundaries, Misryoum newsroom reported that residents can contact the city’s Lead Information Office for help, and they can also use Midwest Laboratories in Omaha for heavy metal screening through its garden and lawn soil testing program—if they’re willing to pay.
Back in the house, the checklist shifts. Homes built before 1978 likely contain lead paint, and the EPA says you can test with at-home kits it approves. A common warning sign is “alligatoring,” the scaly, geometric chipping pattern. East Omaha also has extensive lead plumbing, and residents can use a service line map to see if their home may be eligible for service line replacement. If a lead service line is confirmed, residents can request a free water test from the Metropolitan Utilities District.
When the city remediates soil, it doesn’t just swap dirt and hope. If exterior paint is also an issue, contractors remove flaking lead paint and repaint before the soil work begins. The remediation process described by Misryoum reporting involves removing 4 inches of soil, testing it, then digging deeper in 1-foot increments if levels remain concerning. If contamination still exists, contractors install a barrier like landscaping fabric before adding fill dirt and laying sod. After that, the Douglas County Health Department may contact property owners about doing a dust assessment and offering a free vacuum cleaner with a filter that captures small particles.
And even after work is done, questions don’t magically end. Most properties do not require resampling, an EPA spokesperson told Misryoum. Still, the EPA and city have resampled certain properties on a case-by-case basis—like after a structure is demolished and exposes contaminated soil or spreads dust from lead paint. For yards outside the 400-parts-per-million benchmark, tens of thousands were not remediated, and Misryoum editorial team noted an ongoing effort to examine how effective the cleanup has been.
Meanwhile, safety guidance continues to focus on managing risk day to day. Misryoum newsroom reported that spending time outdoors in the Superfund site can be safe with precautions: keeping bare soil covered, washing hands, taking off shoes at the door, cleaning indoor dust, and preventing pets from contacting bare soil when possible. For gardening, the recommended approach includes washing produce well, peeling root vegetables, discarding the outer parts of leafy vegetables like cabbage and lettuce, wearing gloves, and taking shoes off inside. Raised beds are often the practical answer—an 18-inch bed with landscape fabric under it can keep roots away from base soil, and compost can dilute lead levels and improve soil health. Retesting soil every year is also advised.
What’s hovering over all of this is whether the EPA will expand the cleanup boundaries. The agency is analyzing that possibility, and while testing and remediation outside the current Superfund bounds would still require EPA approval, Misryoum reporting indicates the process would look similar if it moves forward—still, not everyone is sure it will. And if you’re reading this thinking, “So what should I do next?”… well, that’s probably the right question, just not one anyone can answer without first knowing your soil.
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