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Local Contractor Chosen to Continue Cleanup of Mine Waste in Jasper County, Mo.

Release Date: 10/21/2008
Contact Information: Debbie Kring, (913) 551-7725, kring.debbie@epa.gov

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 21, 2008) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected Snyder Construction Co., 3400 East 20th Street, Joplin, Mo., to continue the cleanup of surface mine waste in Jasper County, Mo. This company has extensive experience working on mine waste remediation, most recently as the November 2007 contract recipient for the first phase of cleanup at this site.

This fixed-unit price contract has a one-year base period with four option years and is estimated to cost $50 million (inclusive of all options). The contract includes phases two through six of the cleanup. It addresses six million cubic yards of surface mine waste covering 2,000 acres and, at completion, will comprise approximately 50 percent of the total site cleanup. The cleanup includes: disposal of mine waste in mine subsidence pits, covering the filled pits with an 18-inch soil cap and revegetating the soil with native warm season grasses. Populated areas containing mine waste will be done first.

EPA has been working collaboratively in Jasper County since 1994 with the citizen task force, elected officials, state and county officials, local health departments and residents. This site represents the Missouri portion of the historic Tri-State Mining District, encompassing 2,500 square miles in southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma and southwest Missouri.

Elevated lead levels in the environment can pose a threat to public health, especially children 7 years old and younger, pregnant women, and the elderly.

The awarding of this contract to Snyder is in keeping with EPA's strategy for at least three percent of its contracts to be with service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. The strategy supports the president's 2004 executive order to strengthen opportunities for service-disabled veterans in federal contracting.