27-6 From Contamination to Restoration: Addressing Legacy Industrial Waste in Atlanta's Underserved Communities

Session: Environmental Geochemistry and Health (Posters)

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Abstract:

Atlanta's Westside Lead Site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in March 2022 by the U.S. EPA. This designation sheds light on the long-term environmental and public health impacts of legacy industrial waste, which has historically affected underserved urban neighborhoods. The site is situated within a 637-acre study area, which is primarily comprised of residential properties. Slag is theorized to be a possible source of lead contamination in the area; however, further site investigation is needed to characterize all potential sources fully. There are urgent concerns related to lead exposure, particularly for children. Lead contamination in residential soil highlights the complex relationship between environmental pollution and human health, making remediation efforts challenging. Our company, KEMRON, contributed to this effort by performing targeted soil sampling and remediation ("dig and haul") on impacted residential properties, working closely with the U.S. EPA. This involved exploring the geochemical characterization of lead using XRFs in the field to confirm the delineation of lead, while highlighting the operational strategies that made remediation possible, leaving the land better than it was found, through restoration using clean fill. Exploring the geochemical characterization of lead across environmental and human systems, while also highlighting the operational, regulatory, and community engagement strategies, has enabled effective remediation in a densely populated, high-risk area.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-9006

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