Examples of Superfund Site Cleanups
Superfund cleans up contaminated media, such as soil, to protect human health and the environment. Lead can be toxic when ingested or inhaled and blood lead levels can be used as a measure of exposure. Blood lead levels measured before and after cleanup activities have been used to confirm that exposure to lead has been reduced. The process of cleanup and changes in blood lead levels can be better understood by examining site cleanup work.
Below are a few examples of EPA Superfund cleanup actions taken that show blood lead level reductions among children. These figures were developed by EPA to support of the National Research Council's 2005 report titled Superfund and Mining Megasites: Lessons from the Coeur d'Alene River Basin. For each of these sites, blood lead testing was performed before and during cleanup. In the table below, additional information on the cleanups associated with each of these sites is provided.
| Site Name | City | State | Sources of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vasquez Boulevard and I-70 | Denver | CO | Historic smelting operations |
| Bunker Hill Mining & Metallurgical Complex | Smelterville | ID | Historic mining and smelting operations (More information on blood lead levels) |
| Cherokee County | Galena | KS | Historic mining operations |
| Big River Mine Slag/St. Joe Minerals Corp. | Desloge | MO | Historic mining operations |
| Madison County Mines | Fredericktown | MO | Historic mining operations |
| Oronogo-Duenweg Mining Belt | Joplin | MO | Historic mining and smelting operations (More information on blood lead levels) |
| East Helena Site | East Helena | MT | Historic smelting operations |
| Omaha Lead | Omaha | NE | Historic smelting operations |
| National Zinc Company | Bartlesville | OK | Historic smelting operations |
| Tar Creek (Ottawa County) | Ottawa County | OK | Historic mining operations (More information on blood lead levels) |
| RSR Corporation | Dallas | TX | Historic smelting operations |
| Eureka Mills | Eureka | UT | Historic mining operations |
| Midvale Slag | Midvale | UT | Historic smelting operations (More information on blood lead levels) |