HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - Residents of two northwestern Indiana cities are getting an update on efforts to clean up heavy metals near a former industrial smelter.
The U.S. Environmental Protection scheduled a Wednesday meeting in Whiting about the ongoing work near the Federated Metals site .
The agency will update residents on residential soil sampling and cleanup work in areas of Hammond and Whiting near Federated Metals’ abandoned smelter.
About 10,000 people live within a mile of that smelter, which released lead, arsenic and other heavy metals into the air between 1937 and 1983.
The EPA announced in April that it had authorized $1.7 million for removal of lead-contaminated soil around homes in Hammond and Whiting.
Lead can cause serious long-term health problems in infants and young children, including reduced intelligence, impaired hearing and irritability.
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