Running Into Some Hiccups
April 2004
The EPA’s response to the Omaha lead Superfund site was imperfect and, thus, criticized by the local community. For example, an article published in The Omaha World-Herald on April 9, 2004, “Midlands Voices: EPA cleanup of lead now seems a mess” by Jonah M. Deppe, argued that the EPA was more concerned with cutting costs than with actually remediating soil. Deppe was a member of the CAG and part of the League of Women Voters. The CAG reviewed this article when they met on April 14, 2004.
The article is first concerned with who is really paying for lead remediation in Omaha. Deppe stated that although the administrator of the EPA’s Region 7, which includes Omaha, had recently said the Superfund Trust Fund was replenished entirely by money from the polluters themselves, in addition to money from interest payments and general revenue, this wasn’t entirely true. The article explained that the EPA’s special report to Congress on January 7, 2004 stated that they had a $174.9 million funding shortfall for the 2003 fiscal year. “With a shortfall, who pays — the polluter or the taxpayer from general funds? The concern for Omahans was that alternatives seemingly were being made for the Omaha lead Superfund site due to a projected shortfall,” Deppe wrote (CAG, 2). The article goes on to say, “A review of EPA actions could lead one to believe that EPA is looking for ways to cut costs. Funds were not available for a required Community Advisory Group (CAG) to provide input and feedback on EPA-recommended actions. The EPA invited Union Pacific Railroad, a potential responsible party, to establish and fund this work. Funds were not available for education of residents about lead poisoning and the Superfund process for property owners” (CAG, 2). Deppe’s article was highlighting a community concern: the EPA wasn’t appropriately using money to remediate Omaha’s lead site. People like Deppe wanted more funding from the EPA and to make sure that Omaha taxpayers wouldn’t have to pay for it.
Regarding funding, Deppe went on to insinuate that the EPA was cutting corners to lessen the cost. “The EPA is considering using phosphate in the soil to reduce the likelihood of lead intake by children. Phosphate will cling to lead and supposedly reduce the amount retained in a child's system; this costs less than replacing soil,” the article said (CAG, 2). This, coupled with highlighting the funding shortfall, made it clear that Deppe believed money was being prioritized over true lead remediation, showing community concern.
The EPA was also criticized for their lack of community involvement in decisions regarding lead remediation. Deppe’s World-Herald article claimed that the EPA’s community-involvement plan, remedial investigation and feasibility study was created without “required input from the community” (CAG, 2). She cited a lack of clear information available in languages Omaha residents could understand, inadequate communication and that questions were answered from Kansas City over the phone. This lack of communication was emphasized by the unanswered questions Omaha community members had. The article ends by asking a list of questions, including “Who will pay for the cleanup — polluters or taxpayers? What will the price be for children in the long run without a comprehensive plan?” (CAG, 3).
Other inquiries questioned the timeline. According to the news article, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s health assessment wouldn’t be completed until May of 2004, after the remediation plan would be made. In her article, Deppe asked, “How can the CAG make informed comments without adequate information received in a timely manner? … Does that schedule allow for informed decisions to be made with the community regarding the work plan for Omaha?” (CAG, 2-3). Clearly, the EPA’s timeline was considered inadequate by some.
Therefore, Jonah M. Deppe’s “Midlands Voices: EPA cleanup of lead now seems a mess” highlighted community concerns that the EPA was making some missteps in their remediation efforts. There were concerns of whether there was enough funding, where this funding was coming from and if corners were being cut to lower costs, as well as concerns regarding communication, community involvement and the timing of the plan’s development.
Reference:
Jonah M. Deppe (Author) Omaha World-Herald (Newspaper), “Midland Voices: EPA Cleanup of Lead Now Seems a Mess,” History of Environmental Inequalities, accessed December 4, 2025, https://steppingintothemap.com/inequalities/admin/items/show/380.