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EPA Issues Record of Decision for the Madison County Mines Superfund Site Operable Unit 5

Release Date: 09/27/2012
Contact Information: Ben Washburn, (913) 551-7364, washburn.ben@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 27, 2012) - EPA Region 7 today issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Madison County Mines Superfund Site Operable Unit 5, Catherine Mines and Skaggs Tailings subsites, located in Madison County, Mo. The ROD identifies the selected cleanup methods for the mine waste located at the site.

The overall strategy of the selected remedy is to cover consolidated mine waste, soils, and sediment with low-permeable caps at each subsite.

The major components of the selected remedy include:

• Excavate or grade mine waste, sediments, and soils to meet the respective preliminary remediation goals.
  
• Consolidate mine waste in common locations for each subsite.
  
• Grade and contour the soil repositories and construct drainage systems that will effectively control precipitation runoff to prevent erosion.
  
• Construct a cap at each repository to consist of 12 inches of clay, six inches of topsoil cover, and vegetation.
  
• Install a monitoring well network consisting of a minimum of four wells at each subsite for groundwater sampling to monitor characteristics of groundwater quality and migration.
  
• Establish environmental covenants through agreements with property owners to prevent activities that could disturb or damage the remedy resulting in exposure to mine waste and prevent consumptive use of groundwater.