CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - Dangerously high levels of lead are contaminating dozens of yards throughout one Chattanooga neighborhood, putting families, especially those with children at risk for lead poisoning.
The EPA has crews working throughout Chattanooga's Southside neighborhood, removing all the contaminated soil from 68 yards at 52 homes.
This comes after a year long investigation that started when a resident on Read Avenue landed in the hospital with lead poisoning.
T-DEC pulled soil samples and realized it wasn't the only lead-filled yard.
Since then, the EPA has been testing Southside properties and warning children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning, which can be deadly in the most severe cases.
EPA officials say they have no idea what caused the wide-spread contamination at this time, but say most cases are at older homes.
