A case study of lead contamination cleanup effectiveness at Bunker Hill

A review of cleanup effectiveness at Bunker Hill Superfund Site (BHSS) has shown that yard soil cleanup is an effective tool for reducing house dust lead concentrations, thereby reducing childrenʹs blood lead levels. This review has also shown that contiguous cleanup of residences has a three-fold greater reduction of childrenʹs blood lead levels compared with cleaning only those homes where children currently reside by reducing exposures attributable to neighboring properties. This review underscores the importance of a community-wide, preventative approach to controlling lead contamination in soil and house dust. This review has further characterized the need for careful design, implementation, and perpetual maintenance of a community-wide lead cleanup. Several key areas of importance to maintain large scale mining/smelting remedies in the Bunker Hill area were analyzed and noted for further action, including: infrastructure, institutional controls for homeowner projects (post cleanup), erosion control for undeveloped hillsides with potential to impact the developed valley floor, drainage improvements and flood control, waste piles, and increasing the rate at which cleanup proceeds. Focusing on these areas is crucial to minimizing recontamination at a large scale lead cleanup.