In the past 10 months, residents across Omaha, Nebraska, have reached out to city and federal officials after tests by the Flatwater Free Press and ProPublica revealed toxic lead contamination in their yards exceeding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Under EPA rules, such contamination warrants soil removal and replacement.

While three residents received new testing and promises of further cleanup, others were denied additional remediation or never received a response. One resident reported that her yard tested above EPA lead limits and she was initially told cleanup was necessary, but months later the city reversed course, stating she did not qualify because her property lies outside the primary cleanup zone. Another resident said she called city officials 14 times before being told no retesting would occur since she had not altered her yard since the EPA replaced soil there in 2012.

The EPA and Omaha have spent decades cleaning residential properties in east Omaha, an area historically polluted by a lead smelter and other factories. The EPA had also considered expanding the cleanup to nearly 27,000 properties.

EPA spokesperson Kellen Ashford explained in an email that each property is unique, and decisions to conduct new sampling depend largely on whether site conditions have changed due to construction or demolition that might disturb or expose soil.

Sabrina, a north Omaha resident whose soil was tested, said doctors found lead in three of her children. Following her daughter’s blood-lead test in 2020, the city and a nonprofit replaced windows containing lead-based paint in her home.

This patchwork response highlights ongoing challenges in addressing lead contamination in Omaha neighborhoods.

Sources