Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Why is Asarco paying for the clean-up if they believe the significant sources of elevated lead and arsenic in soils is due to slag fines from an independent, third party crushing operation, lead based paint chips and dust, and arsenical pesticides and herbicides?
EPA ran out of “time-critical” Superfund money for El Paso two years ago, so it began using the money from Asarco’s national environmental trust fund despite objections from Asarco. EPA justified its actions on their theory that elevated metals in the soil were from historic stack emissions from Asarco even though their own scientific data is contrary to that theory. Last year, Asarco concluded that its interests would best be served by conducting removal actions itself because it believes it can spend the trust money more efficiently than EPA (i.e., clean-up more homes using the same amount of money).
Is Asarco selecting the yards to clean up?
No, the EPA is providing Asarco’s contractor, Entact, with property ID’s and addresses. The EPA is prioritizing the yards and determining which yards warrant removal action.
What does it mean to be on the Entact “waiting list?”
Asarco’s contractor, Entact, is required to get permission from the property owners before conducting any removal action. Entact is contacting all the property owners that EPA has provided them information on. Once Entact gets permission from the property owners, they will group homes by the address in order to be more efficient (clean up yards near each other at the same time). If you are on the Entact “waiting list” that means your property will be clean-up using the 2005 Asarco national environmental trust fund allotment ($2 million).
What levels of metals are being cleaned up?
There has been a lot of confusion on the difference between “screening” levels and “action” levels. Screening levels are used for investigative purposes and are based on generic public health averages. Action levels are based on site-specific science completed to be protective of public health and utilizing actual blood lead data, house dust data, water and pipe data in any given area.
Arsenic (ppm) Lead (ppm)
Texas screening levels 24 500
El Paso Action levels (El Paso Technical Workgroup)* 46 830
Revised Workgroup arbitrary action levels** 46 640
At this time the EPA is using the screening level for lead of 500 ppm and the action level for arsenic of 46 ppm even though the El Paso Technical Work Group recommended using 640 ppm lead.
*The El Paso Technical Work Group, an independent group that did not include Asarco, included representatives from the homeowner's associations, TCEQ, EPA, TDH, City of El Paso, El Paso City/County Health Dept., ATSDR, and CDC.
**The Workgroup chose to be overly conservative.
What are the health risks associated with lead in my soil?
The El Paso Technical Work Group determined that 830 ppm lead is protective of public health. Children are at the greatest risk due to their hand to mouth behavior. It is important to understand that the #1 cause of lead exposure in children is lead based paint chips and dust from homes built prior to 1978. Even if soil containing slag fines and lead based paint chips and dust is removed, children may still be exposed to lead from other pathways – lead based paint chips and dust on floors and window sills, old batteries that were stored in yards, Mexican folklore remedies like azarcon and greta that are given to remedy stomachaches, old pipes in older homes, and remnants of leaded gasoline emissions. The best way to protect a child from lead exposure is to ensure frequent hand washing, maintain paint on homes built prior to 1978, and be aware of the many exposure pathways. If you are concerned about your child, the El Paso City/County Health Department offers free blood lead screening for eligible individuals.
Where can I get more information?
The health consultations and other important documents may be read in their entirety at www.asarco.com/elpaso. Visit often because we frequently update the site. Or, telephone us at 915-541-1800.
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