Informational meetings
EPA will hold two informational
meetings to explain the residential
testing process and answer your
questions. Please plan to attend.
Wednesday March 22
3:00 -6:00 p.m.
Washington Elementary School
1401 E. 144th Street
East Chicago, Ind.
- and -
Thursday March 23
3:00 -6:00 p.m.
Carrie Gosch School
445 W. 148th Street
East Chicago, Ind.
If you need special accommodations
to attend this meeting, contact Joe
Munoz at least one week before the
meeting at (312) 886-7935
Your help is needed
This fact sheet also includes an
access agreement and a stamped
envelope for you to sign and send it
back so EPA can test your yard for
lead contamination at no cost to you.
EPA will also accept signed access
agreement at the informational
meetings.
It is important to return the access
agreement as soon as you get it. The
access agreement allows your yard to
be sampled for lead contamination.
EPA to begin testing for lead
contamination in yards
USS Lead
March 2006
Soil at some East Chicago homes could be contaminated with lead. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to find out more information
this spring by taking test samples from residential yards in neighborhoods
near the former USS Lead plant.
Samples will be taken from yards in an area between East Chicago Avenue
and 151st Street, and between Aster Street and Parrish Avenue. EPA will hold
two meetings to explain this process to area residents (see box, left).
Permission needed for samples
If you live in the area described, EPA needs your permission to take soil
samples from your yard. An agreement form is included with this fact sheet
for your convenience. Please complete the form, sign it and return it to EPA
in the stamped envelope provided. EPA representatives will also be going
door-to-door seeking permission from property owners.
EPA technicians will take samples from both the front and back yards to find
out if there is any danger to you from lead in the soil. These tests are done at
no cost to you, and all the work is done outside your home.
USS Lead background
If there is lead contamination in your neighborhood, it may have come from
U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery Inc., commonly known as USS Lead, or
other industries that have operated in the area. The company operated on a
79-acre site at 5300 Kennedy Ave. from 1906 until December 1985. They
recovered lead from scrap metal and automobile batteries.
USS Lead produced lead waste as part of their smelting process. Some of this
waste was emitted into the air, while some built up in large piles on the
ground of the facility. The former plant area has already been cleaned up.
Now EPA is trying to determine other areas that may need to be cleaned up.
What is lead?
Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal. It is commonly found at low levels
in soil. Low levels of lead can be found in the air, water, food and dust in
cities because of the widespread use of lead in man-made products. The
federal government regulates the amount of lead in the air, water and soil.
Lead is highly toxic and can cause a range of health effects, from behavioral
problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death. Children 6 years old
and younger are most at-risk because their bodies are growing quickly and
the effects of the lead can cause problems. Children often have higher levels
of exposure because they play in dirt and may put dirty hands in their
mouths. Also, children who lack proper nutrition may absorb more lead and
suffer more harmful effects.
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What should I do to reduce
exposure to lead?
You should take steps to protect children
from lead-contaminated soil. Pregnant women
should seek prenatal care to protect their
developing infants. You can limit
children's exposure to dirt in the following
ways:
• cover areas of exposed dirt with grass,
flowers, mulch or concrete.
• wash down very dusty areas with a hose.
• discourage children from playing in the
dirt, gravel or ground covers (like
sidewalks and driveways).
• supervise young children to prevent them
from eating dirt.
• wash children's hands often, especially
before they eat and before nap time and
bed time.
• clean or remove your shoes before
entering your home to avoid tracking in
lead from soil.
• make sure children eat nutritious, low-fat
meals high in iron and calcium, such as
spinach and dairy products. Children with
good diets absorb less lead.
To prevent ingestion of lead-contaminated dust,
you should:
• place a door mat at the door.
• vacuum carpets and drapes.
• dust with an oiled cloth.
• mop floors often.
• wipe your feet before entering your home.
• keep windows closed as much as possible to
reduce dirt in the home.
• replace furnace filters often.
Call the National Lead Information Center
(800) 424-LEAD (5323) to learn more about
how to protect children from lead poisoning and
for other information on lead hazards, or visit
www. epa.gov/lead
EPA representatives are available to
discuss the residential yard sampling with you:
Michael Berkoff
Remedial Project Manager
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
(312)353-8983
(800) 621-8431 Ext. 38983
berkoff.michael@epa.gov
Joe Munoz
Community Involvement Coordinator
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
(312)886-7935
(800) 621-8431 Ext. 67935
munoz ,j oe@epa.gov
Technicians taking soil samples for lead
Want
to learn more?
These
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USS LEAD RESIDENTIAL SUPERFUND SITE
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Important Community Meeting Scheduled
for
March 22 and 23, 2006
Details on page 1
v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Kegion &
Office of Public Affairs {P 19J)
n w. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 5D604
PRST STD
US Postage paid
Chicago, IL
G35
POSTAL CUSTOMER
EAST CHICAGO, IN
XXXXX
USS Lead: EPA to begin testing for lead contamination in yards
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION 5
77 WEST JACKSON BOULEVARD
CHICAGO, IL 60604-3590
CONSENT FOR ACCESS TO PROPERTY
FOR SAMPLING AND TO TAKE RESPONSE ACTION
Name: Daytime Phone Number:
(Print)
Evening Phone Number:
~ Owner
Address(es) of Property(ies):
I consent to officers, employees, contractors, and authorized representatives of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sntsrlng and having continued access to the property described
above (the Property) to perform the following response actions: (1) collecting soil samples; (2) excavating
Property soils; (3) backfilling the excavated area(s) of the Property with clean soil and/or backfill; and (4)
restoring to their pre-excavation condition grass, other vegetation, or structures altered during sampling or
excavation activities.
I realize that these actions taken by EPA are undertaken pursuant to its response and enforcement
responsibilities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980,
as amended, 42 U.S.C. Section 9601 et seq. These activities are necessary to identify and cleanup
contaminated soils.
I give this written permission voluntarily, on behalf of myself and all other co-owners of the Property,
with knowledge of my right to refuse and without threats or promises of any kind. I understand that EPA or
authorized representatives of EPA will contact me before the removal of soil begins to discuss the steps
involved in the excavation and removal program, and to review all measures EPA will take to restore my
Property.
This document can only be signed by the property owner.
Date
~ I grant access to my ~ I grant access to my ~ I do not grant
property for sampling and property for sampling only access to my property
removal
Signature Signature Signature
The following optional information will help us interpret the sampling results:
~ there are children under the age of seven years living at this residence
~
there are pregnant women living at this residence
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