ST. FRANCOIS, Mo. — Residents, landowners and business will have a chance to voice their concerns about lead contamination along the Big River in St. Francois County, Mo.
The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a public meeting to gather comments on the proposed plan to address lead contamination in the Big River and in the floodplain soil within the Big River watershed.
The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 16 from 6-8 p.m. at Mineral Area College in the North College Building. The address is
112 Dixie Kohn Drive
Park Hills, MO 63601
Anyone who can't attend can submit their comments, questions and concerns here:
Elizabeth Kramer
Community Engagement Specialist
U.S. EPA Region 7
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Phone: 913-551-7186
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
Email: kramer.elizabeth@epa.gov
In April, Missouri and the U.S. announced an agreement that will require the Doe Run Resources Corporation to clean up more than 4,000 lead-contaminated residential properties near the Big River Tailings Site in St. Francois County.
Doe Run will be required to excavate lead contaminated soil on about 4,100 affected properties and perform additional cleanup at the Hayden Creek mine waste area, according to a press release.
Historical mining activities in St. Francois County released hazardous heavy metals including lead, cadmium and zinc onto residential properties.
EPA will contribute up to $31.54 million toward the cleanup which is estimated to cost a total of $111 million.
Lead exposure can cause a range of adverse health effects from behavioral disorders and learning disabilities to seizures and death.
In the three zip codes compromising the majority of the Big River Mine Tailings Site, between 9.3 percent and 16.7 percent of children have elevated lead levels.
