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| Southeast Missouri lead district. (Wikimedia Commons user Kbh3rd) |
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added the Washington County Lead District-Furnace Creek site in Washington County, Missouri, to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).
The NPL is a list of the nation's hazardous waste sites with the highest priority for cleanup.
The Furnace Creek site is located in a heavily mined region in eastern Missouri and primarily includes residential properties within and around the towns of Belgrade, Caledonia, Hopewell and Irondale, Missouri. Mining activities in Washington County have contributed to elevated levels of lead in soil and ground water in this area.
The public will now have an opportunity to participate in cleanup decisions at the Furnace Creek Superfund Site.
Affected communities will also be eligible for technical assistance grantsfrom EPA of up to $50,000 to hire independent technical advisors. The advisors can help citizens interpret complex environmental data, understand site hazards, and critique various cleanup technologies.
Véronique LaCapra, St. Louis Public Radio
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