EPA to Hold Public Meeting Feb. 17 to Share Update on Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site  

EPA Region 4 Press Office - (404) 562-8400, region4press@epa.gov        

ATLANTA (February 12, 2026) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to update the community on the Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site, including the new EPA Lead Directive and a related change to the cleanup plan. EPA will also provide an update on the investigation and cleanup activities at the site, as well as ongoing and planned cleanup efforts outside the site boundary. 

In October 2025, EPA issued a new Lead Directive that guides how lead in soil is evaluated and cleaned up in residential areas. This summer, EPA plans to release an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) for the Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site. The ESD will describe changes to the existing cleanup plan and update the lead cleanup level using the new EPA Lead Directive. EPA will hold a public comment period to give residents an opportunity to review and provide input to the proposed ESD. EPA will announce the public comment dates when they are finalized. 

When:  

Tuesday, Feb. 17 

5:30 – 7 p.m. ET 

Where: 

City of Chattanooga  

Development Resource Center 

Conference Room 1A 

1250 Market St.  

Chattanooga, TN 37402 

Background:  

The Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site is located in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, and includes eight residential neighborhoods as well as non-residential community areas such as parks, schools, playgrounds, and childcare centers where soil has been impacted by lead. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 2018. To date, EPA has sampled 4,110 properties and cleaned up 1,179 properties.  

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