Pilsen Residents Discuss Possible Superfund Cleanup For Homes Built On Former Site Of Lead Plants
(CBS) -- Residents of the Pilsen neighborhood whose homes are built on the former site of lead plants turned out Wednesday night for a community meeting on a possible Superfund cleanup.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency community involvement coordinator Heriberto Leon in other cities, the biggest questions are about property values. That question didn't even come up during the two-hour meeting. The concern was about what can be done to assure those who walk, garden and play in their yards are safe.
"It shouldn't take very long," Leon aid. "We will try to do sampling in different spots in a yard, for instance, so that we can get a comprehensive picture of any lead content in the soil.
First, property owners must agree to the testing. A quarter of the 127 homeowners have agreed. Before Wednesday's meeting, the EPA had permission letters from 26 property owners, and a spokesman said seven more signed consent form following the meeting. The actual cleanup -- removing up to two feet of topsoil -- will begin this summer.