Washington homeowners balk at arsenic soil replacement

October 25, 2007 - About 100 property owners in Ruston and Tacoma's north end are refusing to let Asarco LLC remove arsenic- and lead-contaminated soil from their yards, preventing the completion of a Superfund cleanup project begun 14 years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency said.

"Obviously, it is unfortunate that we have a large number of people who are refusing sampling or refusing cleanup," said Kevin Rochlin, an Environmental Protection Agency project manager. "I cannot guarantee in the future peoples' yards will be cleaned up."

EPA officials have tried to persuade property owners for several years to participate in the cleanup program. It's unclear why they won't, Rochlin said.

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