Dossier
Mary Royers
Coverage of Mary Royers in the Nexus archive.
- Lead Contamination Is Still a Problem in Omaha. Why Is the City Cleaning Up Some Yards and Not Others?
Residents in Omaha, Nebraska, have found inconsistent responses from the city and EPA regarding lead contamination cleanup in their yards, despite tests showing levels exceeding EPA thresholds. Some properties received retesting and cleanup, while others were denied based on EPA rules or location in non-priority zones.
- The EPA Heralds Its Omaha Cleanup as a Success. But We Found Many Yards Still Have Toxic Levels of Lead.
The EPA has labeled its Omaha lead cleanup as successful, but recent tests reveal many yards still exceed lead levels deemed safe. Despite a $273 million cleanup effort since 1999, 1 in 10 remediated yards tested by ProPublica and Flatwater Free Press showed lead above original guidelines, and nearly a quarter met criteria for further study under new Trump-era standards.