EPA Superfund Site

OMAHA LEAD

NE | EPA ID NESFN0703481

About this site’s exposure pathways: As of March 2025, the Omaha Lead Superfund Site is considered Human Exposure Not Under Control. Since 1999, 42,934 residential properties have been sampled and 13,745 residential properties with lead contamination greater than 400 parts per million (ppm) have been identified and remediated. In 2015, the EPA funded a cooperative agreement with the city of Omaha for the sampling and remediation of the remaining contaminated yards within the site. The cooperative agreement with the city of Omaha is funded through December 2030. The city currently has 150 residential properties remaining to be sampled. The city continues to identify and reach out to the owners of the 384 residential properties that have been sampled with lead contamination over 400 ppm and have refused remediation. The city also has an extensive community outreach program providing lead information to the Omaha community. Through a separate seven-year cooperative agreement funded by the EPA, the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) works with local clinics and Head Start programs to evaluate children living within the Omaha Lead Site for elevated blood lead levels. The DCHD compiles blood lead level data and reports to the EPA on the number of children tested each quarter. The DCHD also has an extensive outreach program that focuses solely on health care facilities, schools, doctor offices, Head Start programs, and WIC outreach programs. The efforts by the city of Omaha and the data compiled by the DCHD are being used to help the EPA assess the effectiveness of the cleanup at the site. Alongside current activities being conducted at the site, the EPA Region 7 is continuing to evaluate the overall protectiveness of the remedy based on EPA's updated lead guidance released in January 2024.