The Smelter closed more than 100 years ago, and the neighborhood that’s now on the site was targeted for a potential Superfund clean-up late last year.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports Environmental Protection Agency officials on Tuesday revealed that yards in six homes in the study zone had lead levels of 300 to 400 parts per million. Six of the homes had lead levels above 551 parts per million.
In five homes, officials found arsenic levels of 14 to 25 parts per million in the soil. Another five homes have arsenic levels above 26 parts per million. Two homes had lower levels of arsenic.
Officials say it's still too early to determine what cleanup standards at the site would look like.
