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Fact Sheet
July 2011
EPA Announces 21-Day Public Comment Period for the Expanded Site Review Work Plan - Proposed Strecker Forest Subdivision, Wildwood, Missouri
INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to conduct an investigation of environmental conditions at the proposed Strecker Forest subdivision located on Strecker Road in Wildwood, Missouri. For this effort, EPA is assisted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR, part of the U.S. Public Health Service). EPA is releasing a draft work plan for public comment that describes the approach and procedures to be used for this investigation.
COMMENT PERIOD & PUBLIC MEETING
EPA is holding a public comment period on the draft work plan that runs from July 6, 2011 through July 27, 2011. A public meeting to present and discuss the draft work plan has been scheduled for:
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
St. Louis County Library
Daniel Boone Branch
300 Clarkson Road
Ellisville, MO
Community members wishing to submit comments or ask questions about the plan may attend the public meeting or contact Ben Washburn, Community Involvement Coordinator, as indicated below.
EPA Region 7 is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the meeting, please notify the EPA Reasonable Accommodations Coordinator, Jonathan Cooper, 800-223-0425 or at cooper.jonathan@epa.gov. Speech or hearing impaired individuals should email or call using the local relay service.
EXPANDED SITE REVIEW
To address public concerns that have been raised by recent studies, EPA is conducting an Expanded Site Review to further characterize environmental conditions in the vicinity of the proposed Strecker Forest subdivision. This investigation is intended to supplement past studies and provide a comprehensive data set that can be used to assess the suitability of the property for residential development. The Expanded Site Review will also more fully characterize the hydrogeology in the area and the potential for ground water conditions to affect proposed and existing residences.
Field work associated with the current investigation will take approximately two weeks to complete and could begin as early as August, 2011, pending final work plan approval by EPA. Some elements of the investigation will continue beyond the initial field work, including the ongoing hydrogeological investigations. A final report of the Expanded Site Review is anticipated later this fall.
The draft work plan is posted online at www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/strecker_forest. A paper copy or CD of the report is available by special request directed to Ben Washburn, Community Involvement Coordinator.
BACKGROUND
The proposed Strecker Forest subdivision is located adjacent to the former Bliss-Ellisville Superfund site in Wildwood, Missouri. The Superfund cleanup of the Bliss-Ellisville site was conducted by EPA in 1996 and involved removal and off-site disposal of dioxin-contaminated soil and other hazardous wastes that were formerly present on the property.
The 18.3-acre tract proposed for residential development includes a small 0.15-acre portion that was involved in the 1996 Superfund cleanup of the adjacent property. This 0.15 acre area is located in a planned preservation area away from the proposed home sites in the northwest corner of the property. Soil sampling conducted following the 1996 cleanup confirmed that conditions in this area were protective for unrestricted use, including residential development.
Recent studies commissioned by the City of Wildwood have raised questions regarding the suitability of the Strecker Forest property for residential use. EPA has agreed to perform the current Expanded Site Review to provide additional data and information that will be used to assess whether conditions in the area remain protective of human health and the environment for current and proposed residential land use.
NEXT STEPSOnce EPA completes field work, samples will be submitted for laboratory analysis. Upon receipt of results of the laboratory analysis, EPA will work with MDNR, MDHSS, and ATSDR to perform a human health assessment of conditions in the area. An initial screening level assessment of potential human health risks should be completed within approximately six to eight weeks of receipt of analytical results. A public meeting will be scheduled at a later date to present results of the Expanded Site Review and screening level health assessment.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Questions about the Expanded Site Review or requests for information can be submitted to:
Ben Washburn
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 7
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Direct: (913) 551-7364
Toll-free: (800) 223-0425
Email: washburn.ben@epa.gov