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Table of Contents
Page 3
2019 Funding
Page 4
Clean Air and Water
Page 10
Land Cleanups and Revitalization
Page 15
Lead Action Plan
Page 18
Agriculture
Page 21
Working Together to Protect Human Health & the Environment
EPA Publication Number: 907K20001
EPA Region 7 protects human health and the environment in our nation's Heartland. Our ecosystems are numerous and the range is broad, en-
compassing the Sandhills of Nebraska, Flint Hills of Kansas, winding Missouri and Mississippi rivers, prairies and plains of Iowa, forests and
delta of Missouri, and an abundance of agricultural lands throughout our region.
AEPA
11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219 | 800-223-0425 | www.epa.gov/region7
2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 1

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As we close out the decade
and head into the 50th an-
niversary year of the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency, I am honored to represent
the EPA Region 7 team and recognize
their achievements in supporting our
four-state region of Kansas, Missou-
ri, Iowa and Nebraska, and nine tribal
nations.
Region 7 is often referred to as the
Heartland, which I think is an accu-
rate reflection of the states we serve. The communities here
feed American families, provide cleaner energy sources and
manufacture the materials needed to fuel the economy of this
country.
The Heartland represents resilience, hard work, together-
ness, grit and environmental stewardship. Not only do the
communities we serve exemplify these qualities, so does the
Region 7 team. Whether responding to floods or developing
new scientific technologies, the dedicated team here is al-
ways looking for opportunities to better serve and work col-
laboratively with our partners and communities.
The achievements highlighted in the Region 7 2019 Year in
Review are only a snapshot of how EPA Region 7 is working
for you and Heartland communities to protect public health
and the environment. We are most successful when federal,
state and community partners work together to meet the mis-
sion of cleaner air, water and land. I am confident that we can
accomplish even more by continuing to work together in the
years ahead.
Thank you to the EPA team and our partners for a successful
year!
- Jim
2 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
SEPA

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FUNDING
Missouri
EPA Region 7 provided $221,808,399
to states, tribes and others across the
Heartland.
J
Kansas
Nebraska
Tribes

$86,459,829 $54,460,284 $42,734,603 $35,161,125* $2,992,558
Includes $92,410 funding awarded to Oklahoma State University for wetland work being performed in Nebraska
AEPA
2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 3

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0£
Q£ LU
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HI Q
d<
Violations of Community Water
Systems Decrease
Region 7's Water and Enforcement
& Compliance Assurance divi-
sions, in partnership with the
region's four states, reached a
significant achievement this year: the
national goal of a 25% reduction in com-
munity water systems with health-based
violations (compared to third quarter 2017
baseline data).
This reduction is a result of significant
data quality improvement and violation
trend evaluation. Region 7 worked with
states as they changed procedures to focus
on such trends. Approximately 50,000 reg-
ulated drinking water systems serve water
to the same people year-round, referred
to as Community Water Systems (CWSs).
In fiscal year 2018, 40% of the nation's
4 j 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
CWSs violated at least one
drinking water standard. In
addition, there were monitor-
ing and reporting violations
at more than 30% of CWSs
and health-based violations at
7% of them.
From the beginning of this
administration, a tremen-
dous focus has been placed
on improving the quality of
water being delivered by drinking water
systems throughout the United States. In
its five-year strategic plan, EPA estab-
lished an aggressive goal of reducing the
number of Community Water Systems out
of compliance with health-based standards
by 25% (from 3,600 to 2,700).
Safe drinking water is critical to our
nation's public health and economic vital-
ity. By reducing the number of Community
Water Systems with violations, EPA is
delivering on its mission of protecting
public health and the environment, and
providing all Americans access to clean
drinking water.
Xs,EPA

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EPA Region 7, the EPATechnical Support
Center in Cincinnati, and the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment
(KDHE) worked together to assist drinking
water utilities in identifying disinfection
by-product (DBP) formation in their water
systems.
EPA and KDHE conducted sampling
at three cities in Kansas (Herington,
Hillsboro and Burlington) as a follow-up
to a larger study and a series of compliance
assistance efforts to help those utilities
with DBP formation identification in their
water systems.
DBPs are an unintended consequence of
using chemical disinfectants to kill harmful
pathogens in water. DBPs are formed when
disinfectants used in water treatment react
with natural organic matter (i.e., decaying
vegetation) present in the source water or
distribution system. At elevated levels, it
can be harmful to public health.
The goal of the study was to generate
data that can help water utilities identify
potential process changes that may lower
the DBPs formed at the treatment plant and
in the water delivered to customers and
consecutive public water systems.
The team measured different water quality
parameters to identify DBP formation and
identified recommendations to the water
utilities on how they could lower DBP
levels in their systems. Recommendations
included delaying water disinfection in the
treatment process; using an alternative
oxidant, instead of chlorine, to treat the
raw water; implementing process control
for chloramine treatment by measuring free
chlorine, free ammonia, monochloramine
and total chlorine; and maintaining an
appropriate chlorine to ammonia ratio.
By working collaboratively with our
state and local community partners, and
utilizing the latest science, EPA Regi on 7
delivers on its commitment to ensure clean
drinking water.
-&EPA
2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 5

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KC-TRAQS
Air Monitoring in
Kansas City, Kansas
In 2017, EPA worked with community members
in the Turner, Argentine and Armourdale
neighborhoods in southeast Wyandotte
County, Kansas, to launch KC-TRAQS, a
one-year air monitoring study. This area is
located in the Kansas River Valley and has
unique meteorological conditions referred to
as inversions, which can trap pollutants close
to the ground. The area is also surrounded
by major highways, industry, and two rail
yards. KC-TRAQS stands for the Kansas City
Transportation and Local-Scale Air Quality
Study. EPA Region 7's Laboratory Services
and Air Division scientists and EPA's Office
of Research and Development partnered with
community members to launch the project. To
gather air data throughout the year, EPA used an
electric car outfitted with an air monitor and six
stationary monitors. Local teachers and students
used handheld monitors called "AirMappers."
At a community event in November 2019,
EPA was happy to report that air quality in the
neighborhoods was well within EPA's national
ambient air quality standards.	^ _ ,




6 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
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Region 7 Works to Increase
Certainty and Compliance in
Indian Country
In 2019, EPARegion 7 focused efforts on those
statutes where EPA is the primary and sole
regulator (i.e., the rules EPA has not or cannot
delegate to another governmental entity). We
focused on direct implementation, particularly
for the Tribal Minor New Source Review air
program in Indian country. In fiscal year 2019,
we issued minor source air permits in Indian
country for two municipal power plants and
one casino-hotel.
The minor source permits place enforceable
restrictions on the potential to emit of the
existing operations at the facilities, so that the
provisions and requirements for major sources
do not apply.
Additionally, the Meskwaki Nation applied to
EPA for Treatment in a Similar Manner as a
State (TAS) for the Clean Water Act Section
303(c) Water Quality Standards and 401
Certification programs for all currently held
Tribal trust lands. After carefully reviewing
the Tribe's application, EPA determined that
the Meskwaki Nation met the necessary
requirements and approved their application
for TAS to administer these programs. The
Meskwaki Nation is the first tribe in Region
7 to receive the authority to administer the
Clean Water Act's water quality standards and
certification programs.
Both projects involved coordination and
\>EPA
consultation with state and tribal partners, and
it exemplifies Region 7's efforts to accomplish
a fiscal year 2018-2022 Strategic Plan
objective of increasing certainty, compliance
and effectiveness by applying the rule of law
to achieve more efficient and effective agency
operations, service delivery, and regulatory
relief.
Empowering tribal nations to administer
Clean Water Act programs on tribal lands is
consistent with recognizing tribal sovereignty
and sets an example for other tribal nations to
follow.
2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 7
Tsom

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EPA Awards $474,884 to Nebraska to Reduce
Diesel Emissions
EPA provided a total of $474,884 in Diesel
Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding to
Nebraska in fiscal year 2019. The grant funds
are used to replace diesel trucks owned by
local governments. The state is also looking
to award sub-grants to replace diesel engines
powering agricultural irrigation pumps.
Announced in 2019, EPA also awarded
$100,000 to replace five, older diesel school
buses in Nebraska for schools in Hayes Center,
Tecumseh, Palmer and Big Springs.
"Children's health is a top priority for EPA,
and these grants will help provide cleaner air
and a healthier ride to and from school for
America's children," said EPA Administrator
Andrew Wheeler. "This DERA funding reflects
our broader children's health agenda and
commitment to ensure all children
can live, learn and play in healthy
and clean environments."
engines are still in use. Reducing exposure
to diesel exhaust from these engines is
especially important for human health and the
environment. EPA offers funding for projects
that reduce diesel emissions from existing
engines.
Exposure to diesel exhaust can
lead to serious health conditions
like asthma and respiratory illnesses
and can worsen existing heart and
lung disease, especially in children
and the elderly. These conditions
can result in increased numbers of
emergency room visits, hospital
admissions, absences from work and
school, and premature deaths.
As a result of EPA regulations, diesel engines
manufactured today are cleaner than ever
before. But because diesel engines can operate
for 30 years or more, millions of older, dirtier
Heartland Region Delivers on Clean Air Act Compliance
¦jjp y".	• V; ' >'y\ .* 'v $
nnn
EPA Region 7 continued to ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act
at facilities throughout Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska through
inspections, compliance assistance, and enforcement activities. In
multiple cases, EPA's activities resulted in enforcement actions to bring
companies quickly back into compliance, completing Supplemental
Environmental Projects and paying civil penalties to deter future
violations.
Protecting clean air is vital to public health in the United States and is
one of EPA's most important missions.
Some of this year's enforcement actions included:
An Atchison, Kansas, Company Agrees to Pay $1 million for
Violating Clean Air Act (112r): https://go.usa.gov/xpVWM
Harcros Chemicals Inc. of Kansas City, Kansas, to Pay Civil
Penalty and Pay for Project to Reduce Isopropyl Alcohol
Releases Into Environment: https://go.usa.gov/xpVWp
EPA Announces Settlements to Address Alleged Violations of
Chemical Accident Prevention Requirements by Two Companies
in Iowa and Nebraska: https://go.usa.gov/xpVWN
Omaha/Council Bluff's Area Gas Stations, Owned by Mega
Saver and Tobacco and Phones 4 Less, Agree to Upgrade Spill
Monitoring and Alarm Systems: https://go.usa.gov/xpVW7
Enforcement actions taken against violators of the Clean Air Act
deter those companies from being repeat offenders and encourage
other companies in the industry to remain in compliance.
8 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
SEPA

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EPA Scientists Partner With University of Kansas
to Improve HAB Monitoring
EPA Region 7 scientists partnered with re-
searchers from the University of Kansas to test
two, new harmful algal blooms (HAB) moni-
toring technologies. One device developed by
EPA Region 7 staff is a lake profiler nicknamed
"STEPH," which stands for Sampling Technol-
ogy to Evaluate and Profile HABs. The device
lowers a water quality meter into the lake and
takes measurements at each interval, allowing
researchers to monitor the position of cyano-
bacteria in the water column.
The second device has been loaned to the team
by researchers at EPA's Office of Research and
Development (ORD). It's called the "WIZ,"
which is short for Water Insitu analyZer. This
device analyzes nitrate, nitrite and phosphate
in the water on-site and sends the data to a
website for retrieval and analysis.
Both devices were deployed on Cross Reser-
voir in Kansas at the field station for testing
in 2019 and they'll be mounted on platforms
to deploy in Milford Lake in 2020 as part of
a multiyear project with ORD, in coopera-
tion with the Kansas Department of Health
and Environment. The emergence of HABs as
a threat to recreational waters presents a new
and urgent challenge for EPA to address.
By identifying water quality conditions that
contribute to harmful algal blooms, EPA and
university research scientists can evaluate and
prepare strategies to mitigate impacts from
HABs.
CLEAN AIR 4
AND WATER 88888
\>EPA
2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 9

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Former Lead, Cobalt Mine Reuse Brings
Jobs Back to Southeast Missouri
Reopening the mine represents a
tremendous economic opportunity
for the Fredericktown community,"
said EPA Region 7 Administrator
Jim Gulliford. "The property
owners' efforts to restore mining
operations and clean up the mine
demonstrate how economic and
environmental revitalization go
hand-in-hand.
The new property owners intend to reopen the
former cobalt mine, which could employ hun-
dreds of residents. EPA and the new owners
signed an Administrative Settlement Agree-
ment and Order on Consent to conduct the
work.
Region 7 leveraged inclusion of the
Madison County Mines Superfund
Site on the EPAAdministrator's Em-
phasis List to motivate the responsi-
ble party agreement to conduct removal activi-
ties and facilitate reuse of the Anschutz portion
of the site, an abandoned lead and cobalt mine
in rural Missouri.
The Madison County Anschutz Mine was
placed on the Emphasis List to promote the
timely implementation of a property-wide
cleanup of historical, surficial mine waste
contamination proposed by the new owners,
which will also allow for the beneficial reuse
of the property and potentially create signifi-
cant economic benefit for the local community.
10 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
oEPA

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EPA Land Revitalization Technical
Assistance Helps Redevelopment in
St. Louis County
Five years after the Ferguson crisis dominat-
ed the news, EPA continues to work with lo-
cal groups to revitalize neighboring Dellwood,
Missouri, where eight buildings were among
those destroyed by arson fires along the West
Florissant Avenue corridor.
In August 2019, the St. Louis Urban League
issued a news release announcing their initia-
tive for a shopping center on two of the four
targeted redevelopment sites along the West
Florissant Avenue corridor. These plans in-
clude a full-service bank, restaurant and ban-
quet facility, and business incubator for mi-
nority-owned business and services (an EPA
recommendation) to be built where an auto
parts store and clothing boutique once stood in
Dellwood.
EPA is leading this and other EPA projects in
St. Louis County neighborhoods, following
a November 2016 request to EPA by the St.
Louis Economic Development Partnership
(SLEDP) and the city of Dellwood for assis-
tance to redevelop sites destroyed by arson.
This assistance created redevelopment plans
that included conceptual site designs, render-
ings, and a retail market analysis. One of the
recommendations of the market analysis was
to develop a business incubator focusing on
commercial kitchens.
"St. Louis Economic Development Partner-
ship has fostered a great relationship with
EPA Region 7 over the last three years The
work of EPA has been a game changer for
communities affected by the 2014-2015 civil
unrest in the St. Louis region," said Cordaryl
Patrick with SLEDP. "EPA has been a cata-
lyst for new intentional development in our
most distressed communities of Dellwood,
Ferguson and Jennings along West Florissant
Avenue."
Redevelopment along West Florissant Ave-
nue is an example of how federal assistance
can be leveraged to bring additional economic
opportunities to heartland communities, and
EPA's commitment to the revitalization of
contaminated properties.
~
-&EPA
2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 11

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n
Region 7 Helps Revitalize St.
Louis Site, Bringing 3,000 New
Jobs to the City	J
12 1 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
In fall 2019, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) broke ground
on its new $1.7 billion western headquarters in St. Louis. EPA Region 7's role in
readying the current site for reuse began in 2015.
Before NGA had selected the site, the city of St. Louis requested assistance
from EPA with Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments. The city wanted
to understand the site's environmental condition before purchasing the land,
comprising more than 500 parcels, which could be used to house the new location
for NGA.
Region 7 coordinated the Phase I assessment with the city and the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and conducted the Phase II assessment
through EPA's Targeted Brownfield Assessment Program. Region 7 completed
the Phase II assessment of the site in seven months, includi ng ground penetrating
radar, soil and groundwater samples, and over 5,000 asbestos-containing material
samples. Following the assessments, the city acquired the properties and enrolled
the site into MDNR's Brownfi elds/Voluntary Cleanup Program.
Region 7 played a crucial role in negotiations between the city, MDNR, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Air Force and NGA, seeking to address concerns
about remediation and reuse. EPA's involvement provided assurance to all parties
that federal and state environmental regulations were being met and future
redevelopment could occur at the site.
Remediation of the site concluded in fall 2018. The project included the removal
of approximately 1 million tons of soil and pavement, 13 miles of overhead lines,
20 underground storage tanks, and 137 structures. The top three feet of soil was
removed site-wide, and in several locations, it was removed down to the bedrock.
Over 37,000 linear feet of marble curbs were removed and will be reused during
site redevelopment. Over 5,800 environmental samples were analyzed during the
remediation.
NGA will employ more than 3,000 federal employees at the site and its
construction is estimated to create 5,200 construction jobs.
The NGA project exemplifies what can be accomplished when federal, state and
city officials work together to revitalize and reuse formerly contaminated lands,
while supporting economic development.
oEPA

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EPA Brownfields
Funding Sparks New
Growth in
Earlville, Iowa
For years, the remnants of an old, vacant car
dealership had been an eyesore in the town of
Earlville, Iowa. The visionary leadership of the
Earlville mayor and city clerk saw a minimal
$22,000 federal EPA investment in assessment
and cleanup leverage almost a half-million
dollars to redevelop the property.
The East Central Intergovernmental
Association performed Phase I and Phase
II environmental assessments and asbestos-
containing materials investigations at the
property, on behalf of the city of Earlville
using its Brownfields Assessment Coalition
CERCLA 104(k) funding. The Iowa
Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
funded a sub-award to share the cost of abating
the asbestos using CERCLA 128(a) funding.
IDNR further funded the redevelopment
through state grants, including an award for
deconstruction and diverting more than 90%
of the demolition materials from landfills and
Iowa Economic Development Authority tax
credits.
After a little over 14 months of construction,
with partnerships from the East Central
Intergovernmental Association, EPA, U.S.
Department of Transportation, IDNR, Iowa
Economic Development Authority, and city of
Earlville, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA)
bus storage facility opened in September 2019.
The project cost around $420,000.
This facility helped centralize the RTA
fleet, protecting vehicles from the elements
and vandals; expanding their service to
12 communities in the three-county area;
and providing much needed transportation
to the elderly, disabled, and those without
transportation.
Four Region 7 Communities Receive Environmental Job Training Grants
EPA selected multiple communities,
including Kansas City, Kansas; and
Bridgeton, Kansas City, and Spring-
field in Missouri; for Environmental
Workforce Development and Job Train-
ing grants in 2019. These grants help to
create a skilled workforce in communi-
ties where EPA brownfields assessment
and cleanup activities are taking place.
Combined funding for these grants
will support the enrollment of hun-
dreds of trainees in their programs,
with a goal of placing program gradu-
ates into the local job market in special-
ized environmental positions where they
can contribute to cleanup efforts through-
out local areas. Participants will receive
certification in a range of environmental
fields to include hazardous waste opera-
tions and emergency response; lead ren-
ovation, repair and painting; lead and as-
bestos abatement; and shipping, handling
and storage of hazardous substances.
EPA's Job Training Program awards
competitive grants to nonprofit organi-
zations and other eligible entities to re-
cruit, train and place unemployed and
underemployed individuals. Individu-
als completing these training programs
have often overcome a variety of bar-
riers to employment. Many are from
low-income neighborhoods. The train-
ing program also serves minorities,
tribal members, transitioning veterans,
dislocated workers who have lost their
jobs as a result of manufacturing plant
closures, and other individuals.
-&EPA
2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 1 3

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EPA Celebrates Sustainable Reuse of KC Superfund Site With Community
Partners
In September 2019, EPA Region 7 presented its Leading Environmen-
talism and Forwarding Sustainability (LEAFS.) Award to the city
of North Kansas City and Rio Tinto AuM Company in recognition of
responsible site reuse through innovative thinking, sustainable practic-
es and environmental stewardship. EPA Region 7 also recognized the
Missouri Department of Natural Resources for their partnership at the
site.
The Armour Road Superfund Site in North Kansas City has an area
of 4.6 square miles and approximately 4,400 residents. The site is a
former industrial area that housed an herbicide mixing facility for over
60 years, which resulted in arsenic contamination in soil and ground-
water. Since 1996, several actions have been completed by EPA and
the responsible parties to clean up arsenic contamination at the site and
dispose of contaminated soil.
The completed cleanup actions allowed for redevelopment of the site
property and the surrounding areas from a light industrial area to a mixed-
use urban development area in the heart of Kansas City. The site property
is now the location for a new restaurant and serves as part of a new mixed
used urban center with retail, medical, and residential buildings.
For over three decades, EPA's Superfund program and its partners have
remediated contaminated hazardous waste sites and furthered community
goals for reuse. As of 2018, there were over 700 non-federal facility Su-
perfund sites in new or continued use. At 529 of those sites, 8,690 busi-
nesses employ over 195,000 people, providing about $13 billion in annual
employment income. In 2018, those businesses generated over $52 billion
in estimated annual sales revenue.
Superfund Remediation and Reuse in Action
Ace Services
Colby, Kansas
Annapol s Lead Mine Missouri Electric Works
Annapolis, Missouri	Cape Girardeau, Missouri
The 2.5-acre Ace Services Site is a former
chrome plating facility in Colby, Kansas,
where chrome plating was applied to farm im-
plement parts. Added to the National Priorities
List in 1995, the site is now available for reuse
and redevelopment.

Lead mining activities from 1919 to 1940
generated over 1 million tons of mining wastes,
contaminating soils and sediments with heavy
metals, primarily lead. The site was placed on
the National Priorities List in 2004. In 2019,
EPA Region 7 determined that the 900 acres of
the former mining site are ready for reuse and
redevelopment.
LAND
REVITALIZATION
The Missouri Electric Works Superfund Site
consists of soil and groundwater impacted by
poly chlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, related to
servicing and remanufacturing electric equip-
ment. The site property is 6.4 acres located
adjacent to U.S. Highway 61 (South Kings
Highway) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In
fall 2019, Region 7 determined that the site is
ready for reuse and redevelopment, following
a final remedy selection in 2018.
14 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
oEPA
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ouncil Bluffs Meets
Standards for Lead
New National Air
In 2008, after EPA revised U.S. National
Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead
(Pb), two sources in Council Blulfs,
Iowa, were identified as exceeding the
new standard. Together, Council Bluffs, the
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and
EPA Region 7 worked on a path forward to
reduce these emissions.
By early 2011, the city had seen significant
reductions of lead emissions. That downward
trend continues today. Based on this success,
EPA was able to designate Council Bluffs as
"in attainment" for fiscal year 2019, becoming
the first area in the region to be redesignated
for the revised lead standard.
To protect public health and the environment,
the Clean Air Act requires EPA to set
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for
six common pollutants, including lead. Air
quality monitors located across the country
measure how much lead is in the outside air.
EPA uses the monitoring data to determine
which areas are not meeting the national lead
standards. If an area continues to have air
pollution levels greater than the standards, it
may be designated as "nonattainment."
Lead in the air is a problem not only because
people may breathe it in, but also because
people can swallow lead dust that has settled
onto surfaces like soil, dust and water. Lead
in soil and dust stays around for many years
because it does not decay or decompose. Lead
is particularly dangerous to children because
their growing bodies absorb more lead than
adults do and their brains and nervous systems
are more sensitive to the damaging effects of
lead.
The actions by Council Bluffs to reduce
lead emissions will directly help minimize
lead exposure and ensure cleaner air for its
residents.
4
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2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review | 15

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Region 7 Superfund
Remediates 38.3 Million
Cubic Yards of Lead-
Contaminated Soil
Lead is a primary contaminant of concern at
many Superfund Sites in Region 7, as a result
of historic and ongoing lead mining and ore
processing in Missouri, Kansas and Nebras-
ka. Significant progress has been made to ad-
dress human health and ecological impacts at
lead-contaminated residential properties.
In fiscal year 2019, EPA Region 7 remediated
an estimated 173,168 cubic yards of lead-con-
taminated soil at 746 residences across 11 Su-
perfund sites, bringing the total for all years
to 4 million cubic yards of contaminated soil
*
at over 25,000 res-
idences.
In addition, Re-
gion 7 remediated
1.2 million cu-
bic yards of mine
waste on 324 acres
in fiscal year 2019,
bringing the to-
tal for all years to
over 38.3 million
cubic yards and
10,500 acres.
Several lead remediation pilot studies are
underway in the Region. A passive stream
sediment trap and overbank deposit channel
effort in the Big River (Missouri) resulted
in the removal of approximately 3,720 cubic
yards of contaminated river and overbank sed-
iment, bringing the total for all years to nearly
17,000 cubic yards.
"Y
MA
A Closer Look: How Superfund Lead Cleanups
Benefit Children's Health


Since the cleanup began at the Madison County
Mines Superfund Site near Fredericktown,
Missouri, EPA has completed the remediation
of over 626,000 cubic yards of soil at more
than 1,900 residential properties, in addition
to cleaning up approximately 87 acres of mine
waste. EPA's response actions have resulted in
a significant reduction of elevated blood lead
levels in children tested throughout Madison
County, where the percentage has dropped from
around 27% in 1996 to less than 2% today.
In addition, EPA has been performing a partial
deletion process of Omaha Lead Superfund
Site residential properties from the National
Priorities List (NPL) following remediation. In
2019, EPA removed 500 remediated properties
from the NPL listing from those that qualify for
cleanup under the current Record of Decision
(May 2009), bringing the total number of
properties removed from the NPL listing to
1,549 remediated properties. To date, EPA and
local government partners have sampled soil
at more than 45,000 residential properties in
Omaha and addressed lead contamination at
more than 13,000 residential properties that
qualified for cleanup.
Since EPA first began cleanup activities in
Omaha in 1999, the rate of childhood blood
lead level exceedance of the 10 ug/dL "level
of concern" in children assessed within the
Omaha Lead Site boundaries has dropped
from over 25% to 0.08% (eight exceedances of
9,659 children sampled from January through
September 2019).
1 6 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review

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iOt\
LEAD ACTION
PLAN
ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI
LEAD INITIATIVE
CAMPAIGN
Outreach Activities
Targeted Outreach
Lead Safety
Educational Events
Achieved Outreach
Lead Safety
Educational Events
Lead-Certified Renovators
50%
Increase in Lead
Certified Renovators
Community Reached
Targeted Reach of
50,000
Inrlivirli lak *
Individuals
Achieved Reach of
Individuals
Protecting Children from Lead-Based
Paint Dust in St. Joseph, Missouri
For the past two years, Region 7 has partnered
with various community groups and organiza-
tions in St. Joseph, Missouri, to educate parents,
children under 6 years of age, homeowners and
educators about lead paint dust hazards and pre-
vention as part of a geographic initiative.
Region 7 reached 56,027 people (target of
50,000) through its outreach efforts, conducting
35 outreach activities (target of 20); increas-
ing the number of lead-certified renovators by
50%; decreasing the non-compliance rate of in-
spections from 38% to 20%; meeting with day
cares in target ZIP codes; and culminating with
a Halloween family and blood lead level (BLL)
screening event in 2019.
A 2016 Reuters article on lead alerted the pub-
lic of the lead hazards in older homes in St. Jo-
seph. If your home was built before 1978, there
is a good chance it has lead-based paint. From
2010 to 2015, more than 15% of children tested
in seven census tracts had elevated blood lead
levels, which was likely attributed to lead paint
in older homes in the St. Joseph area. For com-
parison, Missouri averaged 5% of children test-
ed with elevated levels across the state.
Reducing childhood lead exposures is a nation-
al and regional priority for EPA. The most im-
portant step that parents, doctors and others can
take is to prevent lead exposure before it occurs.
Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child's
health, including damage to the brain and ner-
vous system, slowed growth and development,
learning and behavior problems, and hearing
and speech problems. No safe blood lead level
in children has been identified.

-&EPA	2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review \ 17

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L?j
Partnering with Agriculture to Produce
Environmental Solutions
This story was printed in the High Plains Journal on March 25, 2019, on page 4B "Opinion Editorials."
James B. Gulliford, Region 7Administrator
Here where the Corn Belt transi-
tions to the Great Plains, agricul-
ture is the single largest industry
and most dominant land use with
more than 291,000 farm operations across
Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. These
farmers provide the food, fuel and fiber that
keep our nation running.
To say that agriculture is an important part
of the economy and landscape in America's
heartland would be understating the obvi-
ous. That is why the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency's role in rural America must be
one where we help farmers, ranchers and
agribusinesses be economically successful,
while delivering cleaner water, cleaner air,
and protected land for future generations to
come.
To accomplish this, EPA Region 7 is part-
nering with the ag sector to provide targeted
outreach and compliance assistance through
1 S | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
workshops, seminars and webinars to help
prevent accidents from dangerous chemi-
cals. EPA is also working with the ag com-
munity, state agencies, and other partners
to determine ways to help monitor, prevent
and predict harmful algal blooms. Currently,
work is underway to provide common-sense
nutrient management solutions aimed at im-
proving the quality of our waterways.
With the largest remaining expanse of tall-
grass prairie, the Flint Hills, residing here in
Region 7, we also partner with a wide range
of stakeholders in efforts to manage the pre-
scribed burning of this fire-dependent eco-
system. The tallgrass prairie is a great source
of pride, rich in cattle ranching tradition, and
the ecosystem survives thanks to traditional
land management practices. In partnership
with cattlemen, state agencies, university of-
ficials, and scientists, we're working to iden-
tify measures that best protect public health
from downwind smoke emissions while pre-
serving this endangered landscape.
Through partnerships like these, we're
working to help the industry thrive while
fulfilling our mission to protect public health
and the environment. It's through collabora-
tion and innovation like this that EPA and the
ag community can best conserve the long-
term health of our land and water resources.
It's not our intent to focus on the past, but
rather to open the future to new ideas and
solutions. I am proud that EPA is looking
outside of our own programs to enlist the re-
sources and talents of others. In this regard,
we are committed to engaging in discussions
early and often with farmers, ranchers and
the agribusiness community.
By working alongside our nation's first
conservationists, we can better understand
the implications of our actions and leverage
shared support for a clean environment and
healthy economy
oEPA

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Iowa Receives $3.15 Million for
Cooperative Agreements
Region 7 Administrator Jim CiuHi ford hosted an Iowa State
Fair ceremony to announce more than $3.15 million to fund
Iowa-based projects that improve water quality, habitat, and
environmental education through EPA Farmer-to-Farmer
Cooperative Agreements. The three Iowa-based recipients for
the 2019 agreements are:
•	Practical Farmers of Iowa ($935,788) for Roots for Water
Quality: A Farmer-to-Farmer Model for a Sustainable
Mississippi Basin.
•	University of Iowa ($1,064,926) for Connecting Rural
and Peri-Urban Farmers to Demonstrate and Disseminate
Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Practices.
•	Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
($1,150,000) for Effective, Targeted Wetland Installations
to Maximize Nutrient Removal, Wetland Habitat Function,
and Ultimately Expand Delivery.
-&EPA
EPA Provides $1.2 Million to
Hypoxia Task Force States
EPA is providing a total of $1.2 million to the 12 state members of
the Hypoxia Task Force (HTF), which includes Iowa and Missouri, to
help implement state plans to reduce excess nutrients in the Mississippi
River/Atchafalaya River Basin. Through this funding, EPA is promoting
tailored and effective nutrient reduction efforts that are developed
through state leadership in coordination with EPA.
The HTF provides direction and support to improve water quality in
local waterways and the Gulf of Mexico. By providing this funding to
HTF states, EPA is further empowering our state partners to implement
tailored and effective efforts, including updating nutrient management
plans, developing water quality trading programs, and demonstrating
best practices in high-priority watersheds.
PF vf\KNI
>Nk * X LEADER
KW sInner—
"These Farmer-to-Farmer grants will promote innovative, market-
based solutions for monitoring and improving water quality
throughout the Gulf of Mexico watershed," said EPA Administrator
Andrew Wheeler. "These grants are an important part of our efforts
to support America's farmers in a manner that strengthens both
American agriculture and the protection of our nation's vital water
resources."
2019 U.S EPA Region 1 Year in Review | 1 9

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Improving Rangeland Prescribed Burn
Practices in the Flint Hills
For over a decade, EPA Region 7 has worked with stakeholders in the
Kansas Flint Hills to reduce smoke emissions from prescribed burns
on their native wildland prairies. EPA recognizes that fire is part of a
natural renewal process and essential for sustaining the tallgrass prairie,
where millions of acres are traditionally burned in a compressed spring
time period, potentially sending unhealthy levels of smoke emissions
into downwind communities.
The Kansas Department of Plealth and Environment and EPA Re-
gion 7 continue to focus on outreach efforts encouraging landowners
to spread out the timing of the prescribed burning to reduce air quality
impacts. EPA Region 7 conducted 16 outreach events in 2019, focused
on general smoke management, extending the burns over time, health
effects, and avoiding exposure.
EPA Region 7 employees with the Air and Radiation Division, in part-
nership with the EPA Office of Research and Development, also pub-
lished an article in Science of the Total Environment about their work
Working together, Region 7 looks to create better analytical tools that
can be used to promote the best smoke management practices and pre-
serve the Flint Hills prairies as a productive ecosystem and grazing re-
source, while minimizing the impacts of smoke on air quality in down-
wind communities.
Connecting With the Agriculture Community
EPA Region 7 participated in the Iowa State
Fair for three days, where they engaged 3,000
visitors on EPA programs such as pesticides,
drinking water, lead, laboratory services, and
emergency response.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can be toxic to
liver, kidney, and nervous system functions in
humans and animals, and have occurred in all
Region 7 states. Region 7 has conducted 211
outreach events to provide information to the
public and agricultural stakeholders on how to
identify and report HABs.
Partnering with the agribusiness community,
EPA Region 7 has conducted three chemical
accident prevention workshops and mock in-
spections attended by 71 individuals repre-
senting 46 companies and over 450 facilities,
providing clarity and certainty to agricultural
anhydrous ammonia retail facilities required to
comply with provisions of the Clean Air Act.
to characterize grass-
land fire activity in the
Flint Hills region and
regional air quality
this year. Their work
seeks to help EPA and
ranchers better understand the impact of smoke in nearby communities
during prescribed burns of prairie land. This data is being used to better
predict downwind pollutant concentrations as they relate to fuel loading
(a measurement of flammable material surrounding a fire). It is also
being used to recommend varied optimal burn scenarios to lessen air
quality impacts from the prescribed fires.
^ AGRICULTURE
20 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
SEPA

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7
EPA Region 7 on-scene coordinators
(OSCs) not only respond to spill
emergencies, they also assess high-
risk facilities to help prevent those
emergencies, conducting about 35 inspections
per year. A facility is considered high risk when
it could pose a significant threat or harm to the
environment in an emergency, due to their pro-
cesses, volume of oil stored, and proximity to
waterways.
Following an inspection, it can be time-criti-
cal to notify a facility that violations, risks or
vulnerabilities exist. Using EPA's Lean Man-
agement System, the OSC team explored im-
provements to reduce delays in this notifica-
tion process. This year, the team accomplished
just that.
Prior to implementing the new planning tools
and workload tracking, Region 7 delivered
58% of letters to facilities within 30 days and
-&EPA
14% of the letters took over 60 days. Now,
79% of letters are delivered within 30 days and
no letters take over 60 days.
Quicker notification helps ensure that any
issues are resolved as efficiently as possible,
mitigating the risk of oil spills. Continually
assessing how work is conducted and looking
for process improvements is important for Re-
gion 7 as it delivers on its mission of protecting
public health and the environment.
2019 U.S. EPA Region 1 Year in Review | 21

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EPA Partners with States to Ensure Adequate
Funding for Superfund Site Cleanups,
Maintenance
In fiscal year 2019, EPA
Region 7 supported 37
Superfund State Contracts
(SSCs) totaling $54.9
million in state cost-share.
Required by the Compre-
hensive Environmental
Response, Compensation
and Liability Act, an SSC
documents a state's as-
surances and involvement
at sites where there are
no viable parties to pursue and must be in place before federal Superfund
resources are obligated for remedial action.
Cleaning up contaminated sites to be protective of human health and the
environment is a core EPA mission and the purpose of the Superfund pro-
gram. Ensuring the availability of funding to complete this work is vital to
the timely and thorough cleanup and maintenance of Superfund sites.
Funding work at Superfund sites inspires confidence in the communities
that their continued protection is a priority for both the state and federal
government.
22 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
Inspections &
Enforcement by the
Numbers
In 2019, Region 7 completed two judicial referrals to
the U.S. Department of Justice
for reimbursement of
approximately -1.25 million in
past response costs.
Region 7 additionally conducted 659
inspections, 99 penalty orders, and 22
compliance orders.
/t
^ & We know the protections mandated by federal
environmental laws have been essential to the
growth of American prosperity and well-being, and
that non-compliance with these laws diminishes
our shared prosperity and unfairly tilts the field
of economic competition in favor of those few
who would skirt the law. We want the regulated
community to be in compliance. Realizing that,
at the end of the day, it's just smarter and more
economical to prevent pollution than to pay for the
cleanup and live with the negative public health
and regulatory consequences.
— EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford
SUPERFUND & EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT DIVISION
t\£
11
Administrative and judicials
settlements addressing cleanup
activities
worth
million

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EPA Region 7 is committed to being a resource for businesses,
organizations and schools looking to reduce waste, incorporate
sustainable materials management, or prevent pollution in the
heartland.
2019 marks the 10th anniversary of a successful partnership
between EPA and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals'
recycling program, "4 A Greener Game," has made great
strides in stadium recycling and diverting waste from landfills.
Community volunteers work at every home game to manage
the 500 recycling bins, diverting 6,500 tons of waste since the
beginning of the program.
To celebrate that partnership and to honor the Cardinals'
achievement, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler traveled to St.
Louis to recognize William Dewitt III, president of the St. Louis
Cardinals, for "A Decade of Partnership in Sustainability."
"The Cardinals are proud of the work we do in conjunction with
Delaware North in reducing food waste, which brings social,
economic and environmental benefits to the community," said
Matt Gifford, vice president of stadium operations.
Together, the Cardinals and concessionaire Delaware North
diverted more than 226 tons of food from landfills last year and
donated almost 10 tons of food (equal to 13,000 meals) to those
in need.
To address food waste nationally, the White House, along
with EPA, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, launched the Winning on Reducing Food
Waste Initiative in fiscal year 2019. This helped to align efforts
across the federal government to educate consumers, engage key
stakeholders, and develop and evaluate solutions to food loss and
waste. Earlier this year, President Trump acknowledged April as
Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month and encouraged public
action and participation from all sectors.
These combined efforts will help EPA make progress toward the
national a;oal to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by the year
2030.
-&EPA
r p- "Siiimri
2019 U.S EPA Region 1 Year in Review | 23

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In spring 2019, EPA Region 7 responded to
a large regional flood event, receiving more
than $5 million in mission assignments from
the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) for operations in Iowa, Nebraska,
Kansas, and Missouri. Nebraska and Iowa
represented the largest FEMA mission
assignments, with more than $2.2 million and
$1.6 million respectively.
During the flood response, EPA Region 7
assessed 45 Superfund sites on the National
Priorities List, 75 Facility Response Plan
facilities, 617 Risk Management Plan
facilities, and 76 Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act facilities.
EPARegion 7 cleared more than 5,000 orphan
containers in the region, including surveying
1,500 river miles and 500 highway miles,
with more than 75% of orphan containers
diverted from landfills. EPA also sampled the
private wells of 280 families fori?, coli at the
request of the Nebraska Department of Health
and Human Services.
Effective interagency partnerships during
24 | 2019 U.S. EPA Region 7 Year in Review
WORKING
TOGETHER **
natural disasters and emergencies serve as a
force multiplier for EPA, enabling the agency
to nimbly and effectively address immediate
environmental and public health threats.
During the 2019 Midwest Flood response,
EPA was able to ensure hundreds of facilities
remained protected from flood threats,
provide information regarding well water
quality to Nebraska families, and identify and
remove thousands of orphan containers with
potentially unknown and hazardous contents
from the environment Taken together, these
efforts demonstrate the vital role that EPA
plays during emergencies and natural disasters
in protecting citizens throughout the region.
oEPA

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b
LU
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11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219
800-223-0425
www. epa. go v/region7

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