Lead-Contaminated Soils Removed from Three Schools in St. Francois County, Mo.; Sampling Results for Parks Studied (MO)
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Kansas City, Kan., May 16, 2011) - Efforts by
EPA Region 7 to remove lead-contaminated soils and replace them
with clean soils are nearing completion at three schools in St.
Francois County, Mo., while risk assessors for the Agency are
studying results of soil sampling from 11 public parks in the
county to determine next steps for addressing lead contamination at
those locations.
Action to remove and replace soils began last
week and should be completed, weather permitting, by the end of the
week at Jefferson Elementary School, W.L. Johns Early Childhood,
and Truman Kindergarten, all in Farmington. Those three facilities
– attended by children whose ages put them at greatest risk
of health effects from toxic lead exposure – are among
several schools in the county where EPA’s recent sampling
found elevated levels of lead in soils.
EPA has been actively assessing and removing
lead-contaminated soils from schools and child care facilities in
the area since August 2010, beginning with Central Middle School in
Park Hills. Removal work also began recently at five other area
schools, including North County Primary in Bonne Terre; Parkside
Elementary in Desloge; and Central Elementary, West Elementary and
Special Acres in Park Hills.
In the coming months, 11 additional area schools
will be assessed to determine possible needs for soil removal.
Those schools include Bismarck Elementary School and Bismarck High
School in Bismarck; North County Senior High/Unitec and St. Joseph
School in Bonne Terre; North County Middle School and North County
Intermediate School in Desloge; St. Joseph Elementary School, St.
Paul Lutheran School, Farmington Middle School and Farmington
Senior High School in Farmington; and Central High School in Park
Hills.
Overall, EPA is addressing its soil removal
efforts with highest priority given to schools and facilities
attended by the youngest children, and where their potential
exposure to lead is greatest.
Meanwhile, EPA risk assessors are reviewing the
results of recent tests showing elevated levels of lead in soils at
10 of 11 public parks surveyed in St. Francois County. Those 10
parks tested for lead at levels above 400 parts per million (ppm),
EPA’s residential yard screening level.
Parks with elevated lead levels include
Bicentennial Park, Bonne Terre City Park, Diamond Drill Park and
Lakeview Park, all in Bonne Terre; Desloge City Park in Desloge;
and Columbia Park, The Elvin’s Park, Lewis Street Lions Park,
Park Hills Veteran’s Park and Seventh Street Park, all in
Park Hills. Of the 11 parks EPA sampled, only Miner’s Park in
Bonne Terre tested below 400 ppm for lead in soil. A
12th recreational property, a soccer field in Desloge, also
tested below 400 ppm for lead in soil. Some additional parks in the
area have not yet been assessed by EPA.
Because people generally spend less time in
parks and recreational areas than at home, EPA risk assessors will
consider a number of factors in determining screening levels for
the parks that will likely differ from the 400 ppm residential
level. Those factors include the level of lead in a park’s
soil, how frequently it is visited, the ages of its visitors, and
the types of use it receives. Determining the screening levels is a
key step toward enabling EPA to prioritize and customize its
responses to lead contamination at the various
locations.
Tests showed that certain play areas at six of
the parks have soil with lead levels in excess of 800 ppm, which
could cause EPA to list them as a higher priority for response
action. Those parks include Bonne Terre City Park (1,848 ppm), The
Elvin’s Park (1,726 ppm), Lakeview Park (1,708 ppm), Desloge
City Park (1,548 ppm), Columbia Park (1,021 ppm), and Seventh
Street Park (1,051 ppm).
When the risk assessment process is complete for
the parks, EPA could take certain interim steps to limit potential
exposure to lead in soils, including installing mulch in certain
areas. The Agency took similar interim actions last fall at several
area child care and Head Start facilities. To date, EPA has removed
the lead-contaminated soil from 16 local child care
facilities.
In the meantime, EPA recommends that parents
have children under the age of 7 years tested for lead. Children
ages 7 and younger are most susceptible to lead’s harmful
health effects. Blood lead testing is inexpensive and can be
arranged through most doctors’ offices. Children should also
be encouraged to practice good hygiene habits, including regular
hand washing, especially after playing outside. Parents may also
wish to limit children’s playtime in areas where lead is
known to exist, and to regularly clean outdoor toys and play
equipment.
EPA anticipates scheduling a public meeting in
St. Francois County in the coming weeks, at which it intends to
share information and answer questions about the recent activities
involving soil removal and replacement at the three schools in
Farmington, and the determination of risk assessments for the
parks.
Those actions are the latest phases of EPA
Region 7’s cleanup activity at the Big River Mine
Tailings/St. Joe Minerals Corp. Superfund Site. The 110-square-mile
site is composed of six large areas of mine waste, as well as
surrounding residential and recreational areas. Lead mining and
milling has occurred in the area for more than a
century.
Over the next two years, EPA will address a
crucial phase of the cleanup activity involving the removal of
lead-contaminated soil from approximately 300 residential yards in
the area.
Learn more about health risks associated with lead exposure