Twenty-five years after a lead cleanup, residents near the Avanti Superfund site in Indianapolis are demanding more soil testing to ensure their safety from lingering contamination.
Enrique Saenz reports for Mirror Indy.
In short:
- Neighbors remain worried about lead exposure despite a major cleanup completed in the 1990s.
- EPA’s new rules raising lead cleanup standards don’t apply to the Avanti site, which isn’t on the National Priorities List.
- Local residents are pushing for renewed soil testing after finding contamination in nearby properties years after the cleanup.
Key quote:
“We’re not trash. We’re working class people. We should be treated with the same dignity and respect as other people in the city.”
— Patti Daviau, lifelong resident
Why this matters:
Lead exposure can cause severe health issues, especially in children. Even after extensive cleanup, signs of contamination have resurfaced, leaving residents vulnerable and questioning the effectiveness of previous efforts.
