VARIOUS LOCATIONS
The Oronogo-Duenweg Mining Belt Site (Site) is an inactive lead and zinc mining and smelting area in the southwestern portion of Jasper County, Missouri. Operations began in the mid 1800s, and included hundreds of mines and 17 smelters. One smelter in the city of Joplin operated until the 1970s, which resulted in air emissions and fugitive dust contaminating soil in a large area. In addition, about 7,000 acres are contaminated with over 10 million tons of surface mining wastes. These waste piles are uncovered and unstable. Leachate and run-off from the piles enter ground water and surface streams. Sample results show that soil, ground water, and surface water are contaminated with lead, zinc, and cadmium (hazardous substances) from the mining and smelting activities. Risks include ingestion of contaminated ground water, soil, or mine wastes. About 2,600 residential homes located within the smelter and mining waste areas had yard soil above the established site action level for lead. EPA identified approximately 200 homes that were supplied bottled water due to contaminated private wells. A 1994 human health exposure study by the Missouri Department of Health (MDOH - and now known as MDHSS) showed that 14 percent of the children under seven years old had blood-lead concentrations exceeding the health-based standard of ten micrograms per deciliter. The risk assessment for the residual mine waste areas identified a current risk for people living on or near mine wastes and a future risk for people building new homes on mining waste areas where surface soil or the mining wastes contain contaminants that exceed the action levels. Contaminant concentrations in surface water exceed the Federal Ambient Water Quality Criteria, and the concentrations in some stream sediments exceed severe effect sediment toxicity criteria, indicating significant aquatic risk at the Site. Risks to terrestrial vertebrate populations and communities were evaluated by comparing the average daily dose to selected toxicity reference values and concluded that terrestrial vertebrates that consume earthworms in soils with elevated contaminant of concern concentrations may experience adverse chronic effects.
250 |
People living within a 1 mile radius |
$51,014 |
Average Income |
103 |
Occupied homes |
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