What Are the Risks at the Site?
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The process of melting metals to extract ore (smelting) often releases heavy metals. Some common metals released by smelters include lead and arsenic. EPA found both lead and arsenic at high levels in yards and inside homes in the Colorado Smelter site. These hazardous substances may cause a variety of health problems. Individuals can come into contact with site contaminants by breathing in, eating, and/ or drinking contaminated material.
Lead
Lead from the smelter is found in Pueblo, however there may be other sources of lead in the area. Some common sources of lead include paint from before 1978, glazes, soil, and older plumbing.
- Exposure to lead may cause:
- nervous system damage,
- lower IQ scores in children,
- anemia, and
- brain damage.
- Children below 7, unborn children and pregnant women are especially susceptible to the toxic effects of lead.
Resources:
- Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home - Real Estate Disclosure
- Fight Lead Poisoning with a Healthy Diet (pdf)
- EPA Lead portal
- ATSDR Lead ToxFAQs (pdf) (2pp, 137KB)
Arsenic
Arsenic can be naturally occurring in the environment at low levels, however elevated levels of arsenic in Pueblo can indicate contamination may be from the former smelter.
Exposure to arsenic may cause a variety of health problems.
- Health effects linked with being exposed to arsenic for a long time include an increased risk for some types of cancer including:
- skin,
- lung,
- bladder,
- kidney, and
- liver cancers.
Reducing your exposure
Learn more about how to protect yourself and your family from metals under Community.
Contaminant Information
As of June 2025, arsenic and lead appear to be the principal contaminants of concern for the residential properties portion of OU1 at the site. The IROD determined that nine contaminants of potential concern apply to OU1:
- Antimony
- Cadmium
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Manganese
- Nickel
- Thallium
- Vanadium
- Zinc
Activity and Use Limitations
At this site, activity and use limitations that EPA calls institutional controls are called for as part of the remedy I. Institutional controls play an important role in site remedies because they reduce exposure to contamination by limiting land or resource use. They also guide human behavior. For instance, a land ordinance could require a soils management plan before disturbing potentially contaminated soils that are above the current cleanup level.
For more background, see Institutional Controls.