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Fact Sheet
June 2009
EPA to Hold Meeting with Raintree Plantation Residents, Southwest Jefferson County Mining Superfund Site, Jefferson County, Missouri
INTRODUCTION
EPA Region 7 staff will meet with Raintree Plantation residents at the Raintree Country Club, 5925 Plantation Drive in Hillsboro, Missouri at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2009. The purpose of the meeting is to update residents about ongoing site activities.
SITE BACKGROUND
Jefferson County is part of Missouri's Old Lead Belt, where lead mining occurred for several hundred years. The primary environmental concern at this site is lead contamination in residential soils and private water wells.
SUPERFUND PROGRAM
EPA is conducting investigations and cleanup work at the site under the Superfund program. Congress established Superfund in 1980 in response to growing concerns over human health and environmental risks posed by hazardous sites. After a Superfund site is discovered, cleanup can fall under two programs: removal and remedial. Removal actions address immediate threats to human health and the environment posed by contamination. Remedial actions address sites that require extensive and potentially long-term cleanup.
Raintree Plantation Residents
You are invited to attend a meeting to learn more about the Southwest Jefferson County Mining Site. The meeting is scheduled:
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Raintree Country Club
5925 Plantation Drive
Hillsboro, Missouri
Under the Superfund program, a site may qualify for placement on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is intended primarily to guide EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation and cleanup. On April 9, 2009, EPA proposed the Southwest Jefferson County Mining Site for placement on the NPL. The public was given until June 9, 2009, to submit comments on the proposal. EPA will carefully review all comments received from the public. If EPA decides to place the site on the NPL, a fact sheet and press release will be distributed to inform the public about the decision.
COMPLETED SITE ACTIVITIES
EPA has collected samples from 1,353 properties located within the site. To date, 267 properties have been identified with lead-contaminated soil above 1,200 parts per million (ppm). At this level, EPA prioritizes properties for cleanup as time-critical removals. EPA has also identified 229 properties with lead-contaminated soil in the range of 400 ppm to 1,199 ppm. These properties will be addressed after the time-critical removals are completed. EPA has collected water samples from 598 private water wells in the site. To date, EPA has offered bottled water to 41 residents whose wells have been identified with lead or cadmium above levels of concern.
HEALTH INFORMATION
Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed. Children are more sensitive to lead than adults and can develop lifelong learning disabilities and behavior problems from lead exposure. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should also avoid exposure to lead to protect their children. The only way to know if your child has elevated blood lead levels is to have his or her blood tested. EPA encourages parents to have their children tested for lead exposure.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT
EPA wants to help affected communities understand the technical information related to a site. EPA's Technical Assistance Grant Program provides up to $50,000 for a qualified citizen's group to hire independent technical advisors. The advisors can help citizens interpret technical data and become more knowledgeable about the different technologies used to clean up sites.
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD
EPA has compiled the site administrative record which can be reviewed during normal business hours at these locations:
De Soto Public Library
712 South Main Street
De Soto, Mo.
EPA Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, Kan.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you have questions, please contact:
Dianna Whitaker
EPA Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
913-551-7598, Toll-free 1-800-223-0425
E-mail: whitaker.dianna@epa.gov
Jim Silver
EPA Site Office
13291 State Road CC
De Soto, Missouri 63020
636-586-8406
E-mail: silver.jim@epa.gov
EPA Region 7 is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the meeting, please notify Sharon Nible at (1-800-223-0425), or at nible.sharon@epa.gov at least seven days prior to the meeting. Speech or hearing impaired individuals should e-mail or call using the local relay service.