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Five-Year Review Completed
Oronogo-Duenweg Mining Belt Site, Jasper County, Missouri
?«2!L7 Fact Sheet
INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) conducts regular checkups,
called five-year reviews, on certain
Superfund sites. These reviews are
required by the Superfund law [42 U.S.C.
§ 9621 (c)]. EPA Region 7 has completed
the first five-year review of the Oronogo-
Duenweg Mining Belt Site in Jasper
County Missouri.
EPA conducted the five-year review to
make sure the cleanup remains protective
of human health and the environment.
BACKGROUND
The Oronogo-Duenweg Mining Belt Site is
part of the Tri-State Mining District, which
covers approximately a 2,500-square mile
area in southwestern Missouri,
southeastern Kansas, and northeastern
Oklahoma. Mining, milling, and smelting
of Tri-State District lead and zinc ore
dates back to 1850 and continued until
the 1970s. Mining operations at the site
generated 150 million tons of wastes, of
which approximately 9 million tons remain
today. Additionally, at least 17 smelters
operated within the site, mostly in the
Joplin area. After the turn of the century,
all smelting in Jasper County was
conducted at the Eagle-Picher smelter in
northwest Joplin.
EPA has established four Operable Units
(OUs) at the site to address the risks
associated with contaminated soil and
water. OU1 addresses mining waste piles
located at the site. OU2 addresses lead
contaminated residential yard soils in the
smelter area. OU3 addresses lead
contaminated residential yard soils in the
mining wastes areas. OU4 addresses
contaminated ground water.
NATURE AND EXTENT OF
CONTAMINATION
The wastes from the mining, milling, and
smelting of the ore has resulted in the
significant contamination of ground water,
surface water, and surface soil.
Approximately 470 homes on the eastern
side of the site rely on private, shallow
ground water wells for drinking water.
EPA identified at least 100 of these wells
as having lead and cadmium levels above
established health-based action levels. At
least 2,500 residential yards were
contaminated with lead above acceptable
levels from mining and smelting activities.
Investigations of the mining wastes
indicated the piles could cause significant
risks to the environment, particularly fish
and mammals.
FIVE-YEAR REVIEW
EPA considered a significant amount of
information before concluding that the
remedies are functioning as designed.
The immediate threats to people have
been addressed. The remedy at OUs 2
and 3 currently is considered protective of
human health and the environment
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because all but a few residential yards,
where access was denied, exceeding the
soil action level for metals have been
cleaned up. However, in order for the
remedy to be protective in the long-term,
institutional controls in the form of
residential development ordinances must
be adopted by the local governments to
ensure safe development in contaminated
areas. Additionally, placing deed notices
on properties where owners denied
access for cleanup will protect future
buyers of those properties. The remedy
at OU4, although not completed, is
currently protective of human health due
to the provision of bottle water to homes
with contaminated wells. The remedy is
expected to be fully protective for the
long-term upon completion of the
installation of the public water supplies. A
site-wide remedy for Operable Unit 1 has
not been selected. Therefore, Operable
Unit 1, the mining wastes, still present a
significant risk to the environment. The
risk assessment completed for the Site
did not identify any significant risk to
people resulting from exposure to mine
waste, except in a residential scenario.
Due to the fact that hazardous substances
remain on site, additional five-year
reviews will be required. The next review
is scheduled to be conducted in 2007.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The five-year review report can be
reviewed at the following locations:
Joplin Public Library
300 Main
Joplin, Missouri
Carl Junction City Hall
105 North Main
Carl Junction, Missouri
Webb City Public Library
101 South Liberty
Webb City, Missouri
EPA Region 7
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas
This five-year review report may also be
accessed at the following web address:
http://www.epa.qov/reqion07/superfund/index.htm
(under the heading of FIVE- YEAR
REVIEW REPORTS).
If you have questions or need more
information on the Oronogo-Duenweg
Mining Belt Site or the five-year review
process, please contact:
Fritz Hirter
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: 913-551-7003 or
Toll Free: 1-800-223-0425
E-mail: hirter.fritz@epa.gov
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