Ground-level ozone standards up in the air

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is awaiting new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, that will set new standards for ozone emissions.

The EPA standards are currently at 75 parts per billion.

It may now be reduced to anywhere between 65 and 70 parts per billion.

While St. Louis is already non-compliant, the tougher regulations could make a big difference for Missouri counties that are straddling the fence between compliance and non-compliance according to the DNR’s Air Pollution Control Program interim director, Kyra Moore.

“If the standard is lowered to 65 and brings in, I’m just speculating, 10 to 15 other counties, these are people that have never had to deal with this before. And so it would take a lot of outreach by the Department to explain what they need to do, what they can do to help with ozone levels,” Moore said.

Ground-level ozone is a component of smog and affects people with respiratory problems such as asthma. It is caused automobiles, power plants, and factories.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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No camping fees at state parks for flood victims

Missouri State Parks will waive all camping fees for families displaced by recent flooding along the Mississippi River in state-declared disaster counties.

Camping fees will be waived at Trail of Tears State Park and Lake Wappapello State Park. The waiver will apply for 30 days, after which time each situation will be re-evaluated to determine if the stay needs to be extended.

All campsites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

People requesting the fee waiver should provide documentation from a governmental or charitable organization certifying that they have been displaced by flooding in a declared county in Missouri.

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Missouri DNR receives grant for trail projects

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced earlier this week that they have received more than $600,000 in grant funding from the Recreational Trails Program.

The department selected 10 trail projects that would receive the money. Johnson’s Shut-Ins received $87,588 to build an accessible trail to the local park store. St. Joe State Park also received funding from the grant. The money they received will go toward trail renovation, off-road vehicle education and trail restrooms. Money will also be given to the Ozark Trail Association for educational maps.

The Recreational Trails Program is a federally funded grant program that awards money for trail restoration and development.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Doe Run, Missouri DNR reach agreement on lead cleanup

PARK HILLS, MO (KRCU) - Doe Run and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources reached an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up lead contamination in a popular state park and an adjacent floodplain.

Nearly 15% of St. Joe State Park near Park Hills is slated for cleanup. It is Missouri’s third largest state park.

St. Joe Minerals Corporation donated the park to Missouri DNR in 1976. The land was mined for lead between 1923 and 1972. St. Joe Mineral Corporation changed its name to Doe Run Resources Corporation in 1994.

According to an EPA press release, elevated levels of lead are present in the Shaw Branch of Flat River. Heightened lead has been found in sediment, surface water, and aquatic life.

Total cleanup will cost approximately $7 million and 18 months. Most of the costs will be covered by the bankruptcy settlement of American Smelting and Refining Company in 2009. A $7.7 million special account was specifically designed for St. Joe State Park, according to the EPA.

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