<31
EPA Continues Investigation of Lead in
Red Hook, Brooklyn
Community Update No. 2
June 2013
SAMPLING INFORMATION
On Monday, June 17, 2013, a utility
mark-out was conducted to ensure that
utility lines are avoided.
The EPA will be sampling in the Red
Hook West housing complex from
June 18-20, 2013.
The EPA will collect soil samples
from the lawn throughout the Red
Hook West Houses, on the block
bordered by Richards, King, Dwight
and Wolcott Streets.
WHY IS LEAD A PROBLEM?
Lead is a toxic metal that was used for
many years in paint and leaded
gasoline. Lead poisoning can cause a
number of harmful health effects,
particularly in children under the age
of six.
Exposure to lead in soil can occur
when children play in the dirt and put
their hands or dusty toys in their
mouths. Lead can also get into your
body by breathing or swallowing lead
dust, or by eating soil or paint chips
containing lead.
SITE INVESTIGATION
In early May 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency sampled soil near Richards and Sullivan Streets
in Brooklyn, NY. Soil samples were collected at P S
15/Patrick F. Daly School, the Red Hook West housing
complex along Richards Street, and several locations
along Ferris Street. Soil sampling was conducted to
determine if a former lead smelting facility which
operated in that area from the 1940s through the mid
1960s, known as the Brookhattan Smelting and Refining
Site (Brookhattan), had caused soil contamination.
Results of EPA's sampling show that lead levels were
below the health-based limit of 400 parts per million
(ppm) in all surface soil samples collected at P.S. 15.
Lead levels in some of the deeper soils at P.S. 15 were
elevated. Because the higher levels are below the
surface, there is little possibility that children or adults
will be exposed to the contamination.
In the Red Hook West housing complex, lead was found
in one location at 610 ppm at the surface, above the
EPA's health-based limit. Soil beneath the surface in this
location contained higher concentrations of lead. This is
known as a "hot spot." The source of this contamination
is currently unknown. Lead was also found beneath the
surface in three other locations in the Red Hook West
housing complex, along Richards Street. Surface
detections of lead in these three locations were below
health-based limits.
WHY IS MORE SAMPLING BEING DONE?
More soil sampling is necessary to investigate the extent
of the contamination at the hot spot, and to determine if
there is additional soil contamination at the Red Hook
West housing complex on the block where samples were
collected in May 2013.
www.epa.gov/regiori02/superfund/removal/brookhattan

-------
If you would like information about
the site please contact:
Natalie Loney
U.S. EPA
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office: (212) 637-3639
Toll Free: (800) 346-5009
lonev.natalie@epa. gov
If you would like information on
other environmental concerns or
the Superfund hazardous waste
program contact:
George Zachos
U.S. EPA
Regional Public Liaison
Office: (732) 321-6621
Toll Free: (888) 283-7626
zachos. george@epa. gov
Soil samples will be analyzed for lead and other metals
to determine if a historic facility may have
contaminated the soil.
SIMPLE STEPS TO REDUCE YOUR LEAD
EXPOSURE
The EPA recommends that the soil within the fenced-in
lawn areas at the Red Hook West Houses not be dug up
or disturbed. The following steps are recommended to
reduce your potential exposure to lead contamination
that may be present in surface soils.
•	Remove shoes at the door to prevent tracking in
any dirt that may be on your shoes.
•	Adults and children should frequently wash
hands and face, especially after coming in from
outside and before eating or drinking.
•	If you are a smoker, wash your hands before
smoking.
HOW WILL I GET THE RESULTS
OF THE INVESTIGATION?
The EPA will provide a fact sheet summarizing the
results of the investigation by late summer 2013.
Results of the sampling will be made available to the
community through a variety of methods. The EPA
is available to answer questions now through the
contacts listed here and will be on hand to explain the
sampling results when they come in later this
summer.
NEXT STEPS
If the EPA determines that a release has occurred
from a historic facility, steps are taken to determine
if an EPA cleanup is appropriate. The EPA is
authorized to conduct a cleanup if the lead came
from an industrial source. If an EPA cleanup is
appropriate, the EPA will take action to protect
public health and the environment.
www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/removal/brookhattan

-------