a-epa United States Environmental Protection Agency Please don't plant yet! If your yard:is-in; the area be; sampied:(see enclosed. ma|>), ¦ EPA asks thltryou do.iiot:plant;. any new yegetation or -flowers; in your yard until' sampling occurs. Information meeting jEPA iavites-the;publictoan" - ' information session to-discuss ' cleanup activities that will be ; happening at this site- and answer :' questions' you may have. Please ' try to attend: Date: Thursday, May 5. Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Location: Oasis of Hope. ¦ : Baptist Church . . -. ITiOT E. 25*St: Indianapolis Your help is heeded! It is important to return the access- ' agreements as soon as you get it. The access agreement allows- your . -yard to. be -sampled for lead contamination.. EPA Web site More details":ahout this site and other environmental information can be found: at: http://cfpub,epa..gov/supercpad/cu rsites/csitinfo.cfm?id:=0501643 Cleanup Activities Begin at Former American Lead Site Former American Lead Site Indianapolis. Indiana April 2005 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be in the Indianapolis neighborhoods near the former American Lead site this spring to begin sampling activities on yards that could be contaminated with lead. Samples from both the front and back yards will be taken. The area that needs sampling contains around 250 properties. Yards that turn up with lead levels higher than the limit considered safe by scientists will be cleaned up. EPA has set that limit at 400 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil. No cleanup activities will happen inside homes. The contaminated dirt will be dug up and taken to an off-site location for disposal. Workers hired by NL Industries Inc., the party responsible for the cleanup, will need to obtain permission from property owners before they can sample a yard for lead contamination. An access agreement will be mailed to all homes and churches in the site area. The access agreement allows contractors hired by NL Industries to sample soil and conduct a cleanup if necessary. The access agreement must be signed and returned before your yard can be checked. Cleanup details Once your yard is tested and if the samples show it is contaminated with unsafe lead levels, the environmental contractors will meet with you to discuss how they will clean up your yard. Contaminated soil in the yard will be removed up to a maximum of 12 inches deep and replaced with clean soil, and then sod or grass will be placed on top. In garden areas, contaminated soil will be removed up to a maximum of 24 inches deep. Vegetation that has to be removed will be replaced. If soil near large trees is contaminated, the soil will be dug out by hand around the roots of the trees, or the tree will- be removed and replaced if digging will damage the tree. Pictures will be taken before the cleanup begins so there is a record of how your propeny looked before the cleanup. These photos will also help the contractors restore yards to their original appearance. ------- About the American Lead site The former American Lead property is located at 2102 Hillside Ave (formerly listed as 1600 E. 21st St.). Since at least the 1870's, metal operations were performed on portions of this property by various manufacturing companies in an area that exceeded 100 acres. As a result of these activities some properties in the immediate area have higher than acceptable lead concentrations. For more information If you have questions about the site, please contact one of the site team members listed below: Joe Munoz EPA Community Involvement Coordinator (312) 886-7935 munoz.joe@epa.gov Lynette Sehrowe Indiana Dept of Environmental Management (317) 232-8552 lschrowe@dem.state.in.us Ken Rhame EPA On-Scene Coordinator (312)353-6720 rhame.kenncth@epa.gov Para Tbevenow Marion County Health Department (317) 221-2266 ptheveno@hhcorp .org Health Effects of Lead Lead is a highly toxic metal that may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and under are most at risk because their bodies are growing quickly. Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare soil or when people or pets track dirt into their homes. Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the U.S. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead in their bodies. People can get lead in'their body if they: • Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths • Eat paint chips or soil that contain lead • Breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces) Lead is even more dangerous to children than adults because: • Babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust on them. • Children's growing bodies absorb more lead. • Children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from: • Damage to the brain and nervous system • Behavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity) • Slowed growth • Hearing problems • Headaches Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from: • Difficulties during pregnancy • Other reproductive problems (in both men and women) • High blood pressure • Digestive problems • Nerve disorders • Memory and concentration problems Muscle and joint pain ~ ------- ------- |