A Case Study of Lead Contamination Cleanup Effectiveness at Bunker Hill

By Sean Sheldrake, Marc Stifelman, The Science of the Total Environment 303 (2003) 105–123. Elsevier Science B.V.A

USEPA Environmental Cleanup Office, 1200 Sixth Avenue Mailstop: ECL-113, Seattle, WA 98101-1128, USA

Received 28 March 2002; received in revised form 14 August 2002; accepted 19 August 2002

Abstract

A review of cleanup effectiveness at Bunker Hill Superfund Site (BHSS) has shown that yard soil cleanup is an effective tool for reducing house dust lead concentrations, thereby reducing children's blood lead levels. This review has also shown that contiguous cleanup of residences has a three-fold greater reduction of children's blood lead levels compared with cleaning only those homes where children currently reside by reducing exposures attributable to neighboring properties. This review underscores the importance of a community-wide, preventative approach to controlling lead contamination in soil and house dust. This review has further characterized the need for careful design, implementation, and perpetual maintenance of a community-wide lead cleanup. Several key areas of importance to maintain large scale mining/smelting remedies in the Bunker Hill area were analyzed and noted for further action, including: infrastructure, institutional controls for homeowner projects (post cleanup), erosion control for undeveloped hillsides with potential to impact the developed valley floor, drainage improvements and flood control, waste piles, and increasing the rate at which cleanup proceeds. Focusing on these areas is crucial to minimizing recontamination at a large scale lead cleanup.

2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Lead; Dust; Soil; Children; Cleanup effectiveness; Blood lead; Recontamination; Mining; Superfund

http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/cleanup.nsf/46453efc0be3985c88256d140050c1ac/dda00e459780d6c688256cdb00782500/$file/sheldrake-stifelman.pdf