Community
On this page:
- Community Resources
- Community Advisory Group (CAG)
- Public Participation Opportunity
Community Resources
Free Blood-Lead Testing
If you live in the Superfund site, you can get your and your family’s blood-lead tested for free. This is especially important for children under 7 who are more susceptible to adverse health effects from exposure to lead.
If you are concerned you’ve been exposed to lead from the Superfund site, or other sources of lead, this test is the most accurate way to see what your exposure has been. This test picks up lead you have been exposed to within the past 3-4 months. If you live outside the Superfund site, this testing is low cost.
- Contact the Pueblo Health Department at (719) 583-4307.
The lead program is funded through an EPA grant and supplemented by the state health department.
Protect Yourself and Your Family
Take these simple steps to keep yourself and your family safe from lead.
Minimizing dust in the air and track-in from soil helps prevent exposure to metals. Even if your house was cleaned, these are good practices to make sure you’re not exposed to lead from other sources.
Review Ways to Protect Your Family(pdf) (2pp 2.5MB)
Together, site activities and collaborative efforts such as sampling, cleanups and education are helping to reduce residents’ exposure to site contaminants.
The State Health Department (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) maintains a web page with a broad array of current site-related information, including CAG meeting minutes and handouts.
Community Advisory Group
On September 9, 2014, the Colorado Smelter Community Advisory Group (CAG) was officially formed. This group is an independent, non-partisan group consisting of a balance of diverse interests affected by, and concerned about, the site and the sampling and cleanup process. The overarching goal of the group was to have an effective cleanup completed by 2019; however, EPA completed residential cleanups under the current cleanup goal in 2025.
Early CAG members defined an effective cleanup as:
- Not causing unacceptable health risk to residents or animals, regardless of their age or desire to play in the parks, garden in their yards, or dig for pirate treasure in the neighborhood.
- Restoring the habitat and preventing future ecological risk.
- Promoting the economic vitality of the neighborhood.
- Preserving the historical structures and integrity of the neighborhood.
- Limiting personal liability related to the smelter remediation.
The Community Advisory Group is designed to assist in achieving this goal of an effective cleanup by:
- Providing input to EPA and other government entities that play a role in the cleanup to improve decision making for all.
- Sharing information, ideas, and concerns.
- Serving as a conduit to the larger community.
Visit the Colorado Smelter Community Advisory Group website maintained by the State of Colorado.
Public Participation Opportunities
The Community Advisory Group (CAG) meetings are at 5:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, unless otherwise noted. Every three months the CAG meets in person, with the option to join online. The quarterly, in-person meetings are recorded and posted online. If you have questions or would like to participate, please contact EPA’s Beth Archer (archer.elizabeth@epa.gov) or 720-512-1917.
Next Meeting:
- October 14, 5:30 p.m.
- Neighborworks of Southern Colorado Neighborworks of Southern Colorado (1241 E Routt Ave, Pueblo, CO 81004) or online. Virtual meeting information:
- https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89581571896
- Meeting ID: 895 8157 1896
- Phone:719-359-4580
| Month | Location |
|---|---|
| October 14 | In person ( with option to participate remotely) |
| November 11 | Online |
View recorded meetings on YouTube