In the heart of Omaha, Nebraska, a silent threat lingers beneath the surface of many backyards. Despite decades of cleanup efforts, lead contamination continues to pose a significant risk to residents, particularly children. Recent investigations have revealed that more than half of the yards in areas once surrounded by a lead smelter still contain dangerous levels of lead, raising serious health concerns.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working to address this issue since 1999, removing lead from Omaha’s yards as part of its Superfund program. However, the cleanup standards set in 2009 are based on health recommendations from 1994, which are now considered outdated. New research has shown that even lower levels of lead exposure can cause serious health issues, including IQ loss in children and heart attacks in adults.
Testing reveals persistent contamination
The Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica conducted tests on 388 homes within the Omaha Superfund site and found that 208 of them had lead levels exceeding 100 parts per million (ppm), a threshold considered safe by current health guidelines. Alarmingly, the EPA’s cleanup policy only requires action when lead levels reach 400 ppm. This discrepancy leaves many homes with dangerous but not ‘high enough’ levels of lead, offering little relief to concerned residents.
Natalie Thorpe, an Omaha resident and mother, shared her concerns about the lingering contamination. Her 3-year-old daughter tested high for lead as a baby, and despite knowing about the Superfund site, Thorpe was assured that the EPA had taken care of any problems with the dirt. However, her yard still contains enough lead to be risky but not enough to qualify for government cleanup. ‘It feels a little bit like being a sitting duck,’ Thorpe said.
The EPA’s response and ongoing efforts
EPA spokesperson Kellen Ashford emphasized that removing lead from soil is just one factor in protecting communities. The agency works with local health officials to implement other protective measures, such as establishing the Omaha Lead Registry and funding the Douglas County Health Department’s lead poisoning prevention program. These efforts have contributed to a dramatic decline in elevated blood-lead levels in Omaha, although rates remain above the national average.
In 2026, President Joe Biden’s EPA lowered the recommended screening level for lead to as little as 100 ppm. However, cleaning up to this standard would be an enormous undertaking, with about 40% of U.S. homes exceeding these levels. The cost of cleaning up all affected homes could range from $500 billion to $1.4 trillion. Last year, the Trump administration rolled back these standards, raising the screening level to 200 ppm in an effort to speed up cleanups of the highest-risk areas.
International standards and local initiatives
Some countries and U.S. states have adopted stricter standards for lead contamination. Norway, for example, recommends risk assessments for any dirt that children have regular access to if it contains more than 100 ppm of lead. In the United States, Minnesota requires replacing any soil with more than 100 ppm of lead around the home of a child with a high blood level. New Orleans recently announced plans to clean up its parks after an investigation found high levels of lead contamination.
This summer, the EPA is conducting soil tests around Omaha as part of an investigation that may help determine if the agency should expand the site’s boundaries or lower the amount of lead that would qualify for cleanup. The agency expects to share its findings by October 2027. In the meantime, residents like Natalie Thorpe continue to navigate the challenges of living in an area with persistent lead contamination.
Despite the ongoing risks, there are steps Omaha residents can take to lower their exposure to lead. Maintaining ground cover like grass, washing hands frequently, and removing shoes before entering the home can all help reduce the risk of lead exposure. However, these measures are not a long-term solution, and advocates continue to push for more comprehensive cleanup efforts.
