The Colorado Smelter Superfund Site sits in Pueblo, Colorado, where smelting operations left behind high levels of lead and arsenic in residential yards and inside homes. Both contaminants are the principal concerns for the site's first operable unit, as confirmed in June 2025. EPA is working alongside state, local, and federal partners to address the contamination.
Lead is a serious health risk, especially for children under 7, unborn children, and pregnant women. Exposure can cause nervous system damage, lower IQ scores in children, anemia, and brain damage. Arsenic poses a different kind of long-term risk. Prolonged exposure raises the chances of developing skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver cancers. While the smelter is a known source of lead in Pueblo, other local sources include lead-based paint from before 1978, glazes, soil, and older plumbing.
In September 2025, EPA approved planning for an expedited cleanup of Benedict Park. An engineering evaluation and cost analysis will determine whether a non-time critical removal action is needed due to unacceptable health risks at that location. The results of that analysis will be released for public comment in Spring 2026. In October 2025, EPA also updated the residential screening level for lead at Superfund sites, which guides how cleanup decisions are made.
Residents can check whether their specific property has been sampled or cleaned up by using the Property Status Dashboard. Sampling and cleanup data are also available through a public data portal. These tools give community members direct access to information about their own properties and the broader cleanup effort.
