A Retrospective Study of EPA's Record of Decision Report on the Woolfolk Arsenic and Lead Contamination in Fort Valley, Georgia

Heavy metal contamination is a major anthropogenic challenge in communities with heavy presence of chemical industries. Most of the contamination is due to the improper disposal of chemical waste. The study involved the evaluation of the levels of arsenic and lead regarding remediation activities carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It compared the results of the EPA’s 1993 soil analysis of arsenic and lead, and a subsequent soil analysis of the same mapped areas. It also covered the evaluation of the level of arsenic dust in the attics of residential properties and evaluation of the EPA’s record of testing of arsenic-exposed residents of Fort Valley, Georgia. The results revealed that there is a high level of arsenic still present in the mapped areas cleaned by EPA. Therefore, there is a need for continuous monitoring of health status of the people who live in the affected area