News Releases from Region 07

EPA to Begin Next Round of Residential Yard Cleanups in Late September at Former United Zinc Superfund Site in Iola, Kan.

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., Sept. 2, 2015) - EPA Region 7 expects to begin its next round of residential yard soil remediation work during the week of September 21 at the Former United Zinc and Associated Smelters Superfund Site in Iola, Kan.

EPA began testing residential soil for lead contamination at the site in 2006. Approximately 1,500 properties were tested by the time sampling concluded in 2007. Cleanups of properties with lead in soil at levels of 800 parts per million (ppm) or more were performed during the testing effort. In 2013, EPA returned to Iola to test residential properties that were not tested in 2006-2007.

A total of approximately 2,500 residential properties at the site have now been tested. About 1,050 of these properties have lead in soil above 400 ppm, and approximately 350 of the 1,050 properties have lead above 800 ppm. Levels above 400 ppm are considered unsafe for children six years of age or younger. Lead is a toxic metal that has been known to cause a variety of health problems, including permanent damage to the brain, kidneys and other vital organs, as well as the nervous system.

EPA sent individual letters this week to owners of properties sampled in 2013, informing them of specific soil sampling results for their properties, and providing further information about the upcoming start of cleanup activity. This next round of cleanup work in Iola will focus initially on the priority group of 350 properties above 800 ppm. Cleanups of the other 700 properties with lead between 400 and 800 ppm will begin sometime next year.

As with previous soil remediation that EPA performed at the Iola site during the 2006-2007 effort, all future remediation work will be completed at no cost to property owners. Property owners will be notified individually so that EPA and its contractors can make specific arrangements to remove contaminated soil and replace it with new soil.

In May 2013, the Former United Zinc and Associated Smelters Superfund Site was placed on EPA's National Priority List, making it eligible for significant long-term response funding authorized by Congress under the Superfund program.

The history of environmental contamination at the site goes back to the early 1900s. Located on the east side of Iola, the main Former United Zinc property was first operated by William Lanyon in 1901 and 1902, then was sold to the United Zinc company and continued under operations until approximately 1912. It was one of several zinc and lead smelting operations in the area between 1902 and 1925. Those operations resulted in residential and commercial properties throughout Iola being contaminated with elevated levels of lead.