Along a sweeping curve of the Missouri River, Omaha’s revitalized riverfront hosts green parks, paved public spaces, and a graceful walking bridge. However, only twenty-five years ago this area was a hive of lead-based smelting and refining – with smoke stacks belching lead laced emissions into the clear blue prairie sky, and waste water carrying pollutants into the Missouri River. The airborne particulates settled onto the residential yards of Eastern Omaha, which led to Omaha becoming one of the largest Superfund clean-up sites in the country.

This walking guide will give you a brief overview of the industry, the effects on children, the clean-up process, and the future plans for some of the most heavily polluted land in the area – a children’s playground.