The following press release was published by the US EPA on Oct. 4. It is reproduced in full below.
ATLANTA (Oct. 4, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a virtual public meeting on the proposed listing of the Westside Lead site in Atlanta to the National Priorities List (NPL) on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
The NPL is a list of sites that require further action to protect human health and the environment. The site is being proposed to the NPL to allow EPA to continue to determine which yards are impacted by lead and conduct the necessary soil cleanup at the affected properties.
At the Oct. 7 meeting, EPA will discuss the proposed listing of the site to the NPL. A representative from the Georgia Department of Public Health will join EPA to answer health-related questions. Please pre-register in advance of the virtual meeting by visiting https://epa.gov/superfund/westside-lead or if you do not have access to a computer, please call the Westside Lead Community Outreach Number at (678) 662-8603 to pre-register and a call-in number will be provided.
Public comments on the proposal of the Westside Lead site to the NPL may be submitted through Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. All comments must include the docket number EPA-HQ-OLEM-2021- 0454. Comments may be submitted online at www.regulations.gov or mailed to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; EPA Superfund Docket Center; Mail Code 28221T; 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20460.
Federal Register notices and supporting documents for proposed sites can be found at: www.epa.gov/superfund/current-npl-updates-new-proposed-npl-sites-and-new-npl-sites
Site Background
In 2018, an Emory University doctoral student shared data with the EPA showing elevated lead levels collected from soil samples in Atlanta’s Westside neighborhoods. Research by the EPA led to the discovery of industrial smelting waste, called “slag,” on two lots near Elm Street. EPA initiated an investigation into the contamination. As of Sept. 29, 2021, EPA has sampled just over 772 properties in the English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods, with approximately 40% of the properties showing lead concentrations above the site-specific clean up value derived for the Westside area. This soil poses a potential health risk to residents, and in January 2020 EPA initiated a removal action to reduce the threat. To date, 93 properties have been cleaned up.
For information about the proposed Westside Lead site: www.epa.gov/superfund/westside-lead
For information about Superfund and the NPL: www.epa.gov/superfund
Source: US EPA
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