An investigation by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica found that some Omaha, Nebraska, yards exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's longtime lead-soil cleanup standard. But after residents asked for help, the response has been inconsistent.
What happened?
The area has been dealing for decades with pollution linked to a lead smelter and other industrial sites. After independent soil testing by the publications, some people were offered additional sampling or cleanup, while others were rejected without a clear explanation.
Across a 27-square-mile area of east Omaha, nearly 14,000 yards have had soil replaced since the EPA adopted its 400-parts-per-million lead threshold in 2009. The Superfund cleanup itself began in 1999, and in 2015, the agency handed the remaining remediation work to Omaha.
But residents whose yards showed elevated lead are still seeing an uneven response.
Peter Olson, whose yard had already been cleaned up once, was offered testing only for the patch of backyard where a deck had stood. According to the investigation, the EPA did not say why the other part of his yard, including a section with high lead levels, was ineligible.
Mary Royers, by contrast, was told testing could cover her whole yard because demolition of a shed and construction of a garage may have uncovered buried contamination.
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EPA spokesperson Kellen Ashford said in an email to the outlets that officials assess properties individually and that decisions about new sampling depend largely on whether construction or demolition altered site conditions.
"EPA strives to be fair and equitable in its decision-making process while adjusting to changes in agency policies, funding, and cleanup approaches," he said.
Why does it matter?
Lead exposure is a serious concern, particularly for children, because it can affect brain development, behavior, and learning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Contamination can also remain in place for decades, creating ongoing risks in the places where families garden, children play, and dirt can be tracked into the home.
According to Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica, Amy Haney lives about a half-mile outside the Superfund site boundary, and independent testing at her home found nearly 1.5 times the lead level that would make it eligible for cleanup. In her case, the city said the EPA would retest her home over the summer. In the meantime, she said the result felt like a "kick in the gut."
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In contrast, Sabrina, a north Omaha resident who asked that her last name not be used, said doctors found lead in three of her children. Even so, she said the city refused another soil test, citing a lack of construction disturbance on the property.
"I felt like that was kind of a lazy response," Sabrina told the outlets.
What's being done?
As Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica covered in December 2025, the Trump administration raised the soil-lead level that could trigger a possible cleanup by threefold. Prior to that, the EPA had discussed expanding Omaha's cleanup area to nearly 27,000 properties.
Steve Zivny, who leads Omaha's Lead Information Office, told the outlets that the city can test and clean up properties within the Superfund site, but it must get EPA approval to work beyond those boundaries. He also said the city has asked the EPA to revisit Sabrina's case because of her children's blood test results.
People living within the Omaha Superfund site can use the Omaha Lead Registry to see the highest lead level previously recorded on their property. For untested yards in or near the site, residents can contact the city's Lead Information Office about sampling.
Midwest Laboratories in Omaha also offers fee-based heavy metal screening through its lawn and garden soil program. If children may have been exposed to lead, families can also ask a doctor about blood testing and ways to reduce contact with contaminated dust and soil.
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