EPA aims to remove polluted soil from 167 East Chicago homes

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to excavate lead- and arsenic-tainted soil from around more than 160 homes in a northwestern Indiana city.

The EPA intends to remove polluted soil from about 167 properties in East Chicago’s Calumet neighborhood, which is part of the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site.

The Post-Tribune reports EPA remedial project manager Sarah Rolfes said Saturday that the exterior residential cleanups would end this year if the properties targeted for remediation are completed and the agency receives access for sampling and remediation at 28 properties in the neighborhood.

In 2016, over 1,000 people were forced from the West Calumet Housing Complex after tests found high lead levels in blood samples from some children and some yards with lead levels over 70 times the U.S. safety standard.

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Information from: Post-Tribune, http://posttrib.chicagotribune.com/

source: abcnews.go.com