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Fact Sheet
July 2012
EPA Announces the Public Comment Period and Public Meeting on the Proposed Plans for Operable Units 1, 2, and 3, Southwest Jefferson County Mining Superfund Site, Jefferson County, Missouri
INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has released Proposed Plans for the Southwest Jefferson County Mining Superfund Site Operable Units (OUs) 1, 2, and 3. The Proposed Plans describe the Agency’s preferred alternatives for addressing mine waste and contaminated soil which resulted from past mining and milling practices. In addition, the Proposed Plans include summaries of other alternatives evaluated for use at these OUs.
EPA will hold a 30-day public comment period and encourages the public to review the Proposed Plans and make comments. Following the comment period, EPA, in consultation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will select a final remedy for each OU.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
The 30-day public comment period for the Proposed Plans is July 5 – August 5, 2012.
The public may submit their comments to EPA before the close of the comment period by telephone, mail or email to Debbie Kring, EPA Office of Public Affairs, 901 N. 5th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66101, 1-800-223-0425, or kring.debbie@epa.gov.
PUBLIC MEETING
EPA will also host a public meeting to present cleanup options and take public comments at the following time and location:
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Jefferson County Fairgrounds
10349 Highway 21
Hillsboro, Missouri 63050
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
EPA Region 7 provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the meeting, please contact Jonathan Cooper, 1-800-223-0425, or at cooper.jonathan@epa.gov at least seven days before the meeting. Speech or hearing impaired individuals should email or call using the local relay service.
BACKGROUND
The Southwest Jefferson County Mining Superfund Site was listed on the National Priorities List on September 23, 2009. It encompasses the entire county, and is located approximately 30 miles southwest of St. Louis.
To date, EPA has sampled 2,070 residential properties for lead in soil. For the 351 properties that had lead measurements in the soil over 1,200 parts per million (ppm), EPA has performed immediate (also known as time-critical) removal actions.
In recognition of the multi-media contamination and potentially-responsible parties, EPA divided the Southwest Jefferson County Mining Superfund Site into the following six OUs:
OU-1: All residential properties in Jefferson County with soil lead concentrations equal to or greater than 400 ppm, that do not qualify under OU-2, OU-3, OU-6, or the Herculaneum Lead Smelter Site.
OU-2: Residential properties with soil lead concentrations equal to or greater than 400 ppm identified as having soil hauled to the property by Leubbers Trucking Company.
OU-3: Residential properties with soil lead concentrations equal to or greater than 400 ppm identified as having received soil sold by Stewart Farms.
OU-4: Unconsolidated Mine Waste in Jefferson County, including the Big River, the Big River floodplain, rail lines, and historic mine areas.
OU-5: Contaminated groundwater at all residential properties impacted by mining-related activities.
OU-6: Valle Mines Area in southern Jefferson County and northern St. Francois County. This OU has distinct site boundaries and ownership, unlike most other historic mining sites in the county.
PROPOSED PLANS' ALTERNATIVES
The following alternatives apply to OU-1, OU-2, and OU-3:
Each of these alternatives is described in detail in the Proposed Plans.
EVALUATION CRITERIA USED IN ANALYZING CLEANUP OPTIONS
Threshold Criteria:
Balancing Criteria:
Modifying Criteria:
PREFERRED REMEDY
EPA’s Preferred Alternative for these Proposed Plans (which includes OU-1, OU-2, and OU-3) is:
Alternative 2: Excavation of soil until lead concentrations are below 400 ppm in the top 12 inches, or below 12 inches down to 24 inches below ground surface in garden areas; transportation of contaminated soil to a disposal facility; replacement of contaminated soil with clean backfill and vegetative cover; and limited institutional controls.
Details of this preferred alternative are fully explained in the Proposed Plans, and will be discussed at the Public Meeting.
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD FILE
EPA has compiled the site Administrative Record file. The Administrative Record file is the official record for the site and contains site reports and descriptions of activities and other documents used to determine the appropriate actions to take at the site. The Administrative Record file will be available for review during normal business hours at the following locations:
De Soto Public Library
712 South Main Street
De Soto, Missouri
OR
U.S. EPA Region 7
Records Center
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas
1-800-223-0425
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you have questions about this fact sheet, want additional information about the site, or want to submit a comment, please contact:
Debbie Kring
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7
Office of Public Affairs
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: 913-551-7725
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
kring.debbie@epa.gov