Conclusion

Community outreach is vital to keeping communities healthy. People need to be aware of the issues their communities are facing so that they know how to navigate those issues within their daily lives. When it comes to occupational hazards like we see in Superfund sites across the United States and problems that require immediate attention, such as the lead contamination of water in Flint, Michigan, residents need to be provided with accurate information in order to decide what is best for themselves and for their families. However, widespread and effective outreach is easier said than done — it takes dedicated community members willing to step up for themselves and for their neighbors.

In Omaha, community outreach regarding the lead Superfund site wasn’t perfect, but dedicated community members did step up to make sure that the outreach also wasn’t nonexistent. Despite failing to clean up soil in certain yards, funding controversies and some people arguing that the EPA didn’t involve Omahans enough, the Community Advisory Group worked to develop a community involvement plan, spread awareness and increase childhood lead screenings through informational campaigns, and address public concerns. This work was vital in educating the community about lead and what they needed to do to ensure their families’ health.   

Media outlets are also part of community outreach. News sources are an important way many people in the community gather information. From KETV broadcasting televised news segments about the ASARCO plant and its ramifications to articles published by newspapers like The Omaha World-Herald and The Omaha Star, journalists were key in disseminating information to the public regarding the lead problem. Without this attention in the news, less people would have been aware of the situation. 

Thus, community outreach was an important way to promote and improve public health within the Omaha Superfund site.