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EPA Cleans Up Lead Contamination in Potosi Residence
Release Date: 03/16/2007
Contact Information: Dianna Whitaker, (913) 551-7598, [email protected]
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Kansas City, Kan., March 16, 2007) – Upon learning yesterday that the lead contamination at a home in Potosi, Mo., had not been addressed, EPA contacted the resident and is arranging to clean up and restore the property. The cleanup action will include sampling the entire yard, excavation of lead contaminated areas, confirmation sampling to ensure that the lead contamination has been removed, backfilling with clean materials, and restoration of the yard.
EPA’s actions follow questions raised by the resident in August 2005 about possible lead contamination in sand purchased and delivered for use in play areas at the home. EPA sampling detected high levels of lead (as high as 430,000 parts per million) and observation of materials in the sand resembling lead concentrate.
EPA alerted the resident of the dangers of lead contamination found in the sand. The agency consulted with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the agencies agreed that the state would follow up to decontaminate the residential yard.
When EPA learned yesterday that the state had not decontaminated the yard, Regional Administrator John Askew ordered an immediate cleanup by the federal agency. The yard is being cordoned off this morning, and the cleanup will take place as soon as weather permits.
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