State to clean up Madison County Superfund site

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has agreed to spend approximately $2.44 million to clean up the Madison County Mines Superfund Site.

The DNR announced on Monday that it signed a Superfund state contract to remediate the contaminated site. Past lead mining and milling practices led to the contamination of surface soil, sediments, surface water and groundwater.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listed the site on the National Priorities List on Sept. 29, 2003. The National Priorities List ranks all national Superfund site cleanups in order of the most serious contamination problems and greatest threats to human health and the environment.

Cleanup of the site includes removal of lead-contaminated soil in approximately 1,100 residential yards in Madison County, primarily in the city of Fredericktown. EPA will complete the cleanup in sections that can be addressed through annual appropriations to its budget.

The project will take place over a period of at least four years.

"This cleanup will protect a lot of kids in the area from future lead exposure," said John Rauls, Madison County presiding commissioner.

EPA will fund the cleanup with a 10 percent cost-sharing contribution by the state. The total cost of this portion of the cleanup is estimated at $24.4 million. The state's cost-share contribution will be an estimated $2.44 million. The department is planning to provide in-kind work for EPA to assist with the cleanup. This work would be credited toward the required 10 percent state cost-share.

EPA has determined there are no viable responsible parties or companies that can pay for the cost of the cleanup. Therefore, federal and state funds must be used.

For more information on the Superfund state contract for the Madison County Mines Superfund Site, contact Dana DeWeese at the DNR's Hazardous Waste Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. DeWeese also may be contacted by telephone at 573-522-1795 or 800-361-4827, or by e-mail at dana.deweese@dnr.mo.gov. Hearing and speech-impaired people may reach DeWeese through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.

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