EPA is pleased to share our final report documenting our work to remove lead-contaminated soil at Factory Street. We wanted to provide some highlights from the report:
- EPA removed at least the top 12 inches of lead-contaminated soil underneath parts of Factory Street between King Street and Waterhouse Street. The fieldwork lasted approximately 7 weeks, ending in March of 2020. EPA brought in clean fill and restored the site to appropriate paving standards.
- During fieldwork, we used best management practices to ensure that community members were not exposed to lead-contaminated soil. Air monitoring and air sampling confirmed site workers and community members were protected from lead and dust in the air, and no one from the public came into contact with contaminated soil after it was removed from the site. EPA also worked with local utilities to resolve all utility issues encountered during our work.
- We are coordinating with state and local officials to support future protection of workers and the community from lead-contaminated soil that remains underground. The Hawaii Department of Health and the Board of Water Supply have Environmental Hazard Management Plans (EHMPs) in place to protect construction and utility workers – EPA’s final report is informing updates to those plans. Additionally, EPA recommends in the final report that the state and local government work together to ensure that Factory Street is maintained in the future. While those conversations continue, the Hawai’i Department of Health will inspect the site each year to ensure that the pavement is in good condition and is continuing to protect community members.
Please feel free to contact Amanda Pease at 415.301.1503 or pease.amanda@epa.gov with any questions or concerns you have.
We greatly appreciate your support throughout this project! In addition, the support of the Hawai’i Department of Health was critical to our success, and our strong partnership will continue into the future. We hope the work has highlighted the importance of the State’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, and we encourage everyone to visit their website at lead.hawaii.gov.
