Inside This Issue Greene County Quarry Cleanup Completed Environmental Assistance Office Offers Workshops Maline Creek Asbestos Cleanup Completed in St. Louis Year End Highlights Environmental Emergency Response Incidents Grants and Loans Awarded Calendar of Events Rules Update Air and Land Protection Division Organizational Chart Water Protection and Soil Conservation Division Organizational Chart Regional Office Map Internet Addresses

Protecting Missouri's Natural Resources is a monthly newsletter that informs readers about environmental issues.

JANUARY 2004

MISSOURI MAY LOSE ABILITY TO AUTHORIZE NEW LANDFILLS IN THE STATE
Stricter federal laws could prohibit new landfills in one-third of Missouri and other services could be reduced

WHAT IS THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM?
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources Solid Waste Management Program is established to ensure that trash generated by Missouri citizens, businesses, institutions and industries is managed effectively, economically and efficiently.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM PROVIDE FOR MISSOURI?
The program:

• Permits solid waste processing facilities such as landfills and transfer stations to ensure that they are designed to state and federal standards and operated properly to protect the environment.
• Permits waste tire processors and facilities to prevent environmental problems.
• Provides recycling information and assistance to individuals, businesses, industry, local governments and other state agencies to encourage material reuse and resource recovery.
• Provides oversight of landfill closure and post-closure activities so Missouri's many closed or abandoned landfills do not create water, air or land pollution.
• Conducts inspection and enforcement activities that assure waste management businesses are held to an acceptable level of performance.
• Ensures the administration and oversight of grants to 20 statewide Solid Waste Management Districts for district projects and administration.
• Ensures the administration and oversight on statewide targeted grants or loans. The grants are targeted to specific needs by a citizen group that selects targets based on tonnages diverted from landfill disposal and encouragement of waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
• Creates financial reports regarding grants and loans.
• Provides workshops and training for solid waste district staff and grant applicants.
• Continues development of statewide policy and planning documents and activities that help implement the goals and objectives of the Solid Waste Management Law.
• Provides educational and informational material on solid waste management to Missouri citizens, business and industry.
• Compiles statewide data on waste disposal, diversion, number and types of disposal and recycling facilities, current solid waste management practices and costs.
• Provides beneficial use exemptions for waste materials that are diverted from landfills for reuse.

HOW IS THE PROGRAM FINANCED?
Before December 2002, general tax revenue and the Solid Waste Management Fund provided funding. The Solid Waste Management Fund was established in 1990 to assure proper disposal of solid waste and increase recycling efforts in Missouri.

Money in this fund comes from a $2.04 per ton disposal fee on waste disposed of in Missouri landfills or sent out of state through permitted transfer stations.

HOW HAVE STATE REVENUE TRENDS AFFECTED THIS FUNDING?
As state revenues dropped over the past few years, a balanced budget required cuts to many state agencies and programs. In November 2002, the Solid Waste Management Program lost 100 percent of its general revenue, totaling $1.78 million per year. This equaled 59 percent of the program's operating budget.

HOW WILL LOSS OF FUNDING AFFECT MISSOURI WASTE MANAGEMENT?
Left with 41 percent of its funding, the department would soon lose authorization to implement federal solid waste law. Missouri and virtually every other state in the nation adopted Subtitle D regulations. Loss of permitting and enforcement staff would result in the loss of Subtitle D permitting authority granted to the state by the Environmental Protection Agency. This would reduce the services the department presently provides to Missouri citizens.

Effects include:

• No new landfills in large areas of the state. More stringent federal law would soon prohibit new landfills in one-third of Missouri potentially impacted by earthquakes, karst geology and flood-prone areas. This includes the City and County of St. Louis, St. Charles County and most of southeast and south central Missouri;
• No state oversight. There would be no state approval or monitoring of any solid waste facilities; eventually currently operating landfills would also close because there would be no state inspection or permitting staff to authorize permit modifications or expansions of waste disposal facilities that reach capacity.
• No transfer station oversight. The Environmental Protection Agency does not permit or monitor transfer stations. Their operation would be regulated by local authorities or not at all;
• No state permitting. Without state oversight of permitted facilities, violations such as landfill overfills, pollution of water resources by leachates, lack of appropriate cover and other poor practices would go undetected and noncompliance would become common.
• Cost increases. These changes would increase public and private costs of waste disposal
• Illegal dumping. Increases in cost and lack of convenient disposal facilities will cause illegal dumping to increase;
• Poor environmental quality. As open dumping increases, the quality of Missouri's environment will suffer and public health will be threatened.

ARE OTHER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS AFFECTED?
General revenue cuts to the Department's funding did not immediately impact all solid waste management functions, but it is expected that more cuts are possible. If this happens, several services provided for solid waste management may be affected as follows:

Environmental Services Program (ESP) which tracks underground movement of water and gases related to landfill operations. Methane concentrations and potential groundwater contamination are threats to human health and the environment;

Geological Survey and Resource Assessment Division (DGLS) does landfill site investigations to determine whether the geology is acceptable and groundwater flow will allow the monitoring the proposed landfill site so long-term water quality is protected; and

The first response to illegal dumping complaints and most landfill inspections are done from the department's statewide Regional Offices. These offices could lose remaining general revenue support after July 1, 2004 as the legislature and governor seek a balanced budget.
The Solid Waste Management Fund will likely become the source of replacement funds for these lost revenues.

WHAT OTHER IMPACT DOES SOLID WASTE FUND ASSISTANCE HAVE ON MISSOURI?
From 1991 through 2001, $26.3 million dollars have been awarded to the state's 20 Solid Waste Management Districts to implement waste reduction and recycling projects and solid waste management activities. These projects have resulted in approximately 627,886 tons of solid waste diverted from Missouri's landfills.

During the same period, the districts have also received $4.3 million dollars for administrative costs.

The program administers statewide recycling and waste reduction grants to encourage solid waste reduction, recycling collection and processing, composting, informational activities, market development and research and development. These grants focus on priorities established each year by a Target Advisory Committee that includes citizens representing recycling and waste management businesses.

From 1991 through 2001, $13.4 million dollars have been awarded to 298 projects. These projects have resulted in more than 264,505 tons of solid waste diverted from Missouri's landfills. This benefits local economies as businesses are often created as a result of these grants.

WHAT GAINS HAVE BEEN MADE IN ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF WASTE DISPOSAL?
Since 1990 the estimated amount of solid waste diverted from landfills has increased to 43 percent from 10 percent.

This is the result of coordinated efforts by the department's Solid Waste Management Program, the Environmental Improvement and Energy Resource Authority (EIERA), Outreach and Assistance Center (OAC), Missouri cities, counties, the 20 solid waste management districts, businesses and citizens in development of alternatives to traditional waste disposal.

During this same period, communities with recycling collection services have increased from 117 to 403 and communities with yard waste collection services have increased from 161 to 311.

ARE WASTE TIRES BEING RECYCLED?
Yes, during fiscal year 2003, more than a million waste tires were removed from the environment. Seventy-five percent of Missouri's recovered tires are burned in power plants to generate electricity. The rest are ground into crumb rubber, a feedstock for other rubber products. Since 1990, more than 12 million tires have been removed from Missouri's landscape.

To date 336 tire dumps have been cleaned up. Approximately 12 million tires located in Missouri illegal dumps have been picked up. However, more than 3 million remain to be cleaned up.

In addition, $91,000 in waste tire cleanup costs was recovered through enforcement actions during FY02. During the FY02 grant cycle, a total of $94,709 was awarded for 10 playground material grants.

Sixty-five percent of funds collected through the 50-cent per tire fee charged when new tires are purchased is used on tire site clean ups. This fee program expired on January 1, 2004. Cleanups will continue until funds are expended.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?
The department recently asked a group of local officials, waste industry consultants and others representing statewide solid waste interests to suggest solutions to the current funding shortfall and possible loss of waste management services across Missouri. The group suggested that current money now directed to targeted project grants be redirected to maintain all statutory department solid waste activities. This would replace $1.78 million in lost general revenue and avoid the adverse effects listed above, but not increase the existing disposal tonnage fee. The group specifically recommended that the fee remain unchanged.

The state legislature must authorize this redistribution of funding before December 31, 2004 in order to avoid a lapse of funding for the program.

For more information: contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Solid Waste Management Program at P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. Or call the department's Outreach and Assistance Center at 800-361-4827 or the program's offices at 573-751-5401. The program's fax number is 573-526-3902. Information is also available on the program's Web site www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp.

DEPARTMENT INVITES TEACHERS TO REQUEST INFORMATION PACKET ABOUT EARTH DAY
Deadline to request registration packet is Feb. 6
Mark Friday, April 23, 2004, on your calendar to attend the 10th annual Earth Day celebration to be held at the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site and Carnahan Memorial Garden, next to the Capitol, in Jefferson City.

The Department of Natural Resources sponsors and hosts the event each year. There will be information booths, games and activities about Lewis and Clark and the environment. Many other state and federal agencies will participate through educational displays and exhibits.

With the Missouri River in sight of the Earth Day event, the theme for Earth Day 2004 is Lewis and Clark. Plans are being made to provide interpretations of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition.

The very first Earth Day was held in 1970 and led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and eventually, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

To download a teacher registration form or for more information about Missouri's Earth Day celebration visit www.dnr.mo.gov/earthday or contact Candy Schilling at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at 800-361-4827.

GREENE COUNTY QUARRY CLEANUP COMPLETED
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program (B/VCP) has issued a certificate of completion for the cleanup of the Ash Grove Quarry Tract 2 site, located northwest of the intersection of National and East Trafficway in Springfield.

Brownfields are abandoned or underused industrial or commercial sites, located primarily in urban areas, that are either contaminated or thought to be contaminated. Through the voluntary cleanup program, private parties agree to clean up a contaminated site and are offered some protection from future state and federal enforcement action at the site in the form of a "no further action" letter or "certificate of completion" from the state. These sites can then be put back to various economic development efforts.

The 9.4-acre site was a limestone quarry prior to the 1950s. In the late 1960s and 1970s the quarry was used for disposal of brush, wood-chips, trees, houses and clean fill from urban removal projects. All available records indicate no other household or industrial waste was disposed in the quarry. After a fire in 1973, only rock, soil and concrete was placed in the quarry. Wash water from ready-mix trucks was also discharged to the quarry; however this practice was discontinued in 2000. Over time, the western half of the quarry was filled. On the eastern half of the Quarry property (Tract 2) is a basin containing lime sediment and standing water.

In 1999 the city of Springfield enrolled the site in the B/VCP contemplating an acquisition of this property for development as part of the new Jordan Valley Park in historic downtown Springfield. Studies performed by Ash Grove Cement Co. and the city indicated the water in the Quarry was not impacted above regulatory levels. In 2001 the city pumped the vast majority of water from the Quarry to the city's sanitary sewer. Studies performed by the city indicate sediment was not impacted above regulatory levels. However methane gas is present in fill material in the southwest part of the Quarry property (Tract 1). Tract 2 is not impacted by methane and no further action is required to receive unrestricted closure. As part of the development of Jordan Valley Park the city of Springfield is considering several proposals for this tract including a water feature and park where people could rent paddleboats.

For more information, call the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Section at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-8913.

WASHINGTON COUNTY SITE COMPLETES VOLUNTARY CLEANUP
The Buckman Laboratories plant in Cadet has manufactured chemicals since 1962. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found information in its files from the early 1980s suggesting that drums of waste chemicals may have been buried in a field on company property prior to the existence of state and federal laws prohibiting such disposal.

While the plant managers believed only non-hazardous solid wastes had been buried, in 1996 they agreed to enter the Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program (B/VCP) and investigate. Testing by their consultants, The Forrester Group, revealed numerous drums of liquids in one area, and a deposit of solid sulfur (a production by-product) in another.

In 1998, Forrester and Environmental Operations Inc. excavated 250 drums. Many of the drums were empty, but 52 drums of liquid and solid wastes were recovered, including solvents, waste oil and off-spec products. Contaminated soil was also removed and disposed of off-site. The B/VCP determined that the sulfur deposit was not a threat to the environment and it was left in place with permanent markers. Buckman capped the drum burial area with clay to entomb remaining chemical residues and non-hazardous solid wastes. Buckman will continue to monitor and maintain both burial areas, and has received a Certification of Completion from the department. The department commends Buckman Laboratories for a job well done. This completion brings the total number of completed B/VCP sites to 178 since 1994.

For more information, call the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Section at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-8913.

BROWNFIELDS/VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM OVERSEES SUCCESSFUL CLEANUP OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY SITE
The Plymouth Industrial Park site in Wellston received a Certificate of Completion from the Brownfield/Voluntary Cleanup Program (B/VCP) after completing cleanup of soil contaminated with PCBs and petroleum. The site used to be the main part of the Wagner Electric facility, whose use included metal forming, fabrication, casting, plating, conditioning, and finishing. Components that were manufactured there included transformers, motors, and brake linings.

Wagner Electric operated at the site from 1906 to the early 1980s. St. Louis County entered the site into the B/VCP in 1997. The site remediation required excavation and off-site disposal of over 1,424 tons of contaminated soil from the various remediation areas.  The entire site was capped with a minimum of two feet of compacted clay, which is to be additionally covered by pavement during redevelopment.

Completion of this site as an industrial park will be the latest stage in an ongoing effort to revitalize the city of Wellston. The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) granted $100,000 to the county in 1997 as part of the Brownfield Redevelopment Program and issued $1,575,000 in Brownfield remediation tax credits for this project to help pay for the soil and groundwater remediation. In addition, a $1.9 million grant from the Federal Economic Development Administration was issued to help pay for the demolition of the former Wagner Electric structures. Southwestern Bell has an agreement with St. Louis County to purchase the DED remediation tax credits. This site is the 179th site cleaned up in the B/VCP
since 1994.

For more information, call the Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Section at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-8913.

ST. LOUIS GROUNDWATER CLEANUP COMPLETED
The Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program (B/VCP) has issued a certificate of completion for the Everest and Jennings site in St. Louis for the cleanup of groundwater that was contaminated with various solvents, including 1,1,1-trichloroethane, dichloroethane and dichloroethene. Lexington Corporate Properties Trust will receive the certificate of completion. The Everest and Jennings Facility entered the B/VCP in September 2000. The site is 10 acres in size, with a large warehouse covering most of the space.

This facility was developed in 1984 to manufacture cardboard boxes. In 1992, the use of the facility changed to the manufacture of wheelchairs. Operations included vapor degreasing, machining, brazing, and storage of solvents, oils and cleaning agents. A Phase II investigation identified contamination in the groundwater at the site. Soil borings and groundwater monitoring wells were advanced on the site. Soil analysis confirmed no volatile organic compounds were present in the soils on site at concentrations exceeding the Cleanup Levels of Missouri (CALM) document's soil target concentrations. The subsequent installation and sampling of groundwater monitoring wells over a period of three years concluded that the constituents of concern identified in the PhaseII investigation were below the CALM document's groundwater target concentrations.

For more information, call the Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Section at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-8913.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE OFFICE SPONSORS WORKSHOP
The department's Environmental Assistance Office recently co-sponsored the Advanced Asset Management workshop.

What is advanced asset management? If you are responsible for assets such as water and sewer systems, roads, buildings, manufacturing plants, you are already doing some level of asset management. If you are doing a great job of managing your assets in an all-encompassing way, you are doing advanced asset management. Advanced asset management takes into account life-cycle costs of facilities and will help select the best overall alternatives for infrastructure construction, repair and replacement, operating techniques and everything it takes to own and operate facilities.

The recent workshop was co-sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Parsons Asset Management Center. About 60 water and wastewater utility officials and their assistance providers received the training. The conference was held Sept. 9-10, 2003, at the downtown Embassy Suites in St. Louis. It was the third workshop of its kind in the U.S. following workshops in Atlanta and San Francisco.

The workshop focused on asset management, level of service, minimum life-cycle cost strategies and required replacement funding levels for utilities.

The speakers guided the participants through answering five core questions:

1. What do I own, where is it and what condition is it in?
2. What is my required sustained level of service?
3. Which of my assets are critical to sustained performance?
4. What are my minimum life-cycle cost strategies? (60-85 percent of the life-cycle costs of a facility are locked in at the planning stage.)
5. What is my required annuity funding level?

For more information on the core principles of asset management call the Department of Natural Resources at 573-526-6627 or 800-361-4827.

DEPARTMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ISSUE DRAFT PERMITS TO EXPERT MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency will issue a draft hazardous waste permit and a Research, Development, and Demonstration (RDandD) permit to Expert Management Inc. (EMI). EMI, formerly ICI Explosives USA Inc., is located about 6.5 miles northeast of Joplin. The public is invited to review and offer written comments on the draft permits from now until Jan. 24, 2004.

EMI is an inactive chemical and explosives manufacturing facility. Past activities at the facility have released explosives-related hazardous waste and materials into the soil, groundwater and surface water. The draft hazardous waste permit would require the facility to continue to examine and clean up areas of the property where hazardous waste and materials pose a threat to human health or the environment. The RDandD permit would allow EMI to perform pilot studies and further develop new treatment technologies.

The draft permits can be viewed and copied at the Joplin Public Library, 300 South Main St. The draft permits are also available by appointment at either of the following Department of Natural Resources' offices:

Southwest Regional Office 2040 W. Woodland Springfield, Missouri Phone 417-891-4300	Hazardous Waste Program 1738 East Elm Street (lower level) Jefferson City, Missouri Phone 573-522-3345
Or, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding federal holidays) at
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Information Resource Center 901 North Fifth Street Kansas City, Kansas Phone: (913) 551-7241

Please send written comments on the RDandD permit and the department's portion of the draft hazardous waste permit to Don Dicks at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Hazardous Waste Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176. Please send comments for EPA's portion of the draft hazardous waste permit to David Garrett at EPA, Resource Conservation Recovery Act Permitting and Compliance Branch, 901 North Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101.

Anyone may request a public hearing on the draft permits by writing to Dicks at the above address before the close of the comment period. A request for a hearing must state what issues are to be raised in the hearing. For more information, call Dicks at 573-751-3553 or 800-361-4827 or Garrett at (913) 551-7159.

JACKSON COUNTY MISSILE SITE CLEANED UP AND TRANFERRED TO LOCAL SCHOOL
After hazardous materials were cleaned up at an Army Nike Battery missile launch control site near Lone Jack, it was transferred to the Lone Jack School District. The deed of transfer from the U. S. Department of the Army to the Lone Jack C-6 School District was presented to the Lone Jack School Board during a ceremony held at the high school. The ceremony highlighted the completion of the cleanup of the oldest Base Realignment and Closure site in the state of Missouri. This site is now used by the Lone Jack School to better the school and the community.

The department's Federal Facilities Section provides oversight to cleanup hazardous materials at military sites that are no longer in operation. The Army Nike Battery missile launch control site cleanup included removal of asbestos, oil contamination and the sewage treatment plant and demolition of hazardous buildings.

The ceremony was hosted by Fort Leavenworth staff, who took the lead on the cleanup, and the Lone Jack School Superintendent and School Board. Also in attendance were staff from the Department of Natural Resources' Hazardous Waste Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency project manager and community members. Congresswoman Karen McCarthy, representing Missouri's fifth Congressional District, congratulated the various groups on their participation in this noteworthy event.

Fort Leavenworth has been working with the Kansas City District Corps of Engineers to clean up and prepare the site for transfer. The site consists of 19.5 acres with a four-acre easement.

Efforts remain underway to evaluate other active military sites and sites already disposed of for similar concerns and opportunities for reuse. For additional information regarding this site and other federal facilities located around the state of Missouri, contact Ramona Huckstep at 573-751-3176 or 800-361-4827 or by e-mail at ramona.huckstep@dnr.mo.gov.

DEPARTMENT CLEANS UP WARREN COUNTY TIRE DUMP
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has completed the cleanup of nearly 3,000 waste tires in one of Warren County's largest waste tire dumps.

Using labor provided by the Department of Corrections, the department oversaw cleanup of the dump, located on Bernheimer Road near Bernheimer.

When waste tires are not disposed of or recycled properly they pose serious threats to human health and the environment. Water sitting in waste tires creates an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes, heightening the threat of the dangerous West Nile virus. Fires from waste tires release hazardous substances into the air and possibly into groundwater sources and can burn for months or even years.

"The Department of Natural Resources has removed approximately 12 million tires from illegal waste tire dumps in Missouri using the state's 50-cent-per-tire waste tire fee," said Steve Mahfood, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The waste tire fee was not extended during the regular 2003 legislative session and is set to expire on Jan. 1, 2004. Unless the fee is renewed, the state will lose its only source of funding for waste tire dump cleanups. "It is unfortunate the tire fee will expire this year," said Mahfood. "However, the department will continue to remove as many waste tires from Missouri's environment as possible until the fund balance is completely expended."

The department estimates more than 3 million waste tires will remain scattered across Missouri's roadsides and communities when the fee expires.

For further information on Missouri's tire fee effort visit the department's Web page at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/tires/TIREFEEPKT.pdf, or call Dan Fester, Waste Tire Unit chief with the Solid Waste Management Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5401.

MALINE CREEK ASBESTOS CLEANUP COMPLETED IN ST. LOUIS

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program (B/VCP) has issued a certificate of completion for the Maline Creek Asbestos site in St. Louis for the cleanup of soil and surface water contaminated with asbestos-containing materials.

CertainTeed Corp., formerly known as GAF Corp. and other companies, manufactured asbestos reinforced construction materials, such as concrete piping, wallboard and shingles on the site. The properties are presently used as scrap recycling, truck transfer and warehousing operations. During operation of the CertainTeed and GAF plants, asbestos-containing materials were used as subgrade fill material on this site, as was consistent with industry practices at the time. In addition, a bunker was shared by both companies to dispose of asbestos-containing material slurry and other materials.

The Maline Creek project entered the B/VCP in April 1996. CertainTeed and GAF both participated in the cleanup and each received a Certificate of Completion. Environmental Resources Management was the primary consultant on this project. The main component of this project was the construction of a half-mile retaining wall along the northeast bank of Maline Creek. The design included slope protection in the form of cabled concrete blocks extending from the top of the retaining wall up to a finished grade. The Maline Creek stabilization project covers approximately 2,500 feet in length or approximately five acres.

For more information, call the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Section at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-8913.

Workers wear protective clothing and particulate face masks at the beginning of the asbestos cleanup from Maline Creek along Riverview Drive in St. Louis. The Maline Creek Project was entered into the Department's Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program in 1996. Photo courtesy of Environmental Resources Management.	After removal of asbestos from Maline Creek in St. Louis, a new stabilizing wall keeps the hillside protected from annual flooding. Concrete mats under the soil contain any remaining material while allowing plants and grass to grow, further stabilizing the hillside. Photo courtesy of Environmental Resources Management.

DEPARTMENT ADDS ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY INCIDENTS TO WEB SITE
An Internet database developed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources now gives Web site visitors the ability to research environmental emergencies in their own back yards and throughout the state.

The database allows residents to search for information on environmental emergencies worked by the department's environmental emergency response team since 1993. The information, which can be searched by county, cause, date, type of spill or kind of property involved, is available at www.dnr.mo.gov/meerts/index.do.

The department provides daily support and protection for the citizens of Missouri during environmental emergencies. The department's environmental emergency response system has on-scene coordinators located throughout the state and available 24-hours a day, seven days a week to respond to hazardous substance spills.

The system is funded by a hazardous waste generator fee, which will expire in December 2004 unless it is extended in the upcoming legislative session. For more information, call the department's Environmental Services Program at 573-526-3315 or 800-361-4827. To report a hazardous substance spill call 573-634-2436.

ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE

The department's Environmental Emergency Response provides daily support and protection for the citizens of Missouri. On-scene coordinators are located throughout the state and available 24-hours a day, seven days a week to respond to hazardous substance spills. Some of the protection and services the department provides are:

• emergency response training and planning;
• advice on hazardous chemicals and technical expertise used to provide spill cleanup advice and oversight;
• coordinate private contractors to clean up hazardous material spills;
• ensure a proper environmental cleanup is completed;
• drug lab seizure assistance;
• Chemical Accident Prevention Program for businesses that use hazardous chemicals; and
• Homeland security issues.

Environmental Emergency Response staff use specially designed vehicles that contain protective gear, air monitoring instruments, sampling equipment and spill cleanup equipment. The department's Environmental Emergency Response Team is funded from a hazardous waste generator fee. The fee will expire in December 2004 unless it is renewed. To report a hazardous substance spill call 573-634-2436.

The department oversaw the cleanup of over 100 barrels of gasoline spilled from a pipeline south of Belle in Maries County. Ice on the ground due to the wintery weather helped keep some of the gasoline from soaking into the ground and entirely into this private pond. A hydrophobic boom is used to soak up gasoline while repelling water.

DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO 2,100 GALLON GASOLINE LEAK FROM A PIPELINE PUMP STATION IN MARIES COUNTY
On Monday, Dec. 14, 2003, the Environmental Emergency Response (EER) Section received notification from Conoco/Phillips Pipeline that a valve at a gravitometer, a device to measure product specific gravity, failed and began spraying gasoline at its Cherokee Pump Station located south of Belle, Missouri on Highway 28. Company officials noticed a drop in pipeline pressure and responded immediately to investigate.

An EER State On-Scene Coordinator was immediately mobilized to the scene to assess the situation and coordinate response actions with company officials.
Fifty barrels or 2,100 gallons of gasoline were lost as a result of the gravitometer's failure. Gasoline flowed from the site of the pipeline leak onto private property and into a pond. Weather conditions at the time of the incident were cold and windy, which helped in dissipating the explosive gasoline vapors. The wet and icy conditions kept the gasoline from soaking into the ground and entirely contaminating the pond.

The cleanup contractor hired by Conoco/Phillips Pipeline worked nearly seven days and recovered 100 barrels of a gasoline and water mixture from the pond and other areas, and excavated 180 cubic yards of contaminated soil. Soil sampling has been conducted to confirm all contamination was removed from the environment.

The EER State On-Scene Coordinator noted that Conoco/Phillips Pipeline officials implemented their emergency response plan and that the cleanup went very well.

For more information, call the Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Services Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-3315.

SODIUM CYANIDE FOUND IN DRUMS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN WEBSTER COUNTY
On Dec. 1, 2003, the Environmental Emergency Response (EER) Section's emergency spill notification line received a call from a resident in Niangua, Missouri reporting the discovery of two 30-gallon drums on recently purchased property. It is not known how the drums ended up on the property.

Upon investigation the EER Section determined that the drums contained sodium cyanide. None of the sodium cyanide escaped to the environment.

Sodium cyanide is a white, deliquescent, crystalline powder, but may be commonly found in the form of discs. It is toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Common uses of sodium cyanide include heat treatment of metals, cleaning of metals, insecticides, extraction of gold and silver from ores and electroplating.

ADuty Officer with the EER Section went to work exploring options to help out the citizen with disposing of the material. With the assistance of the Springfield Household Chemical Collection Center and the Solid Waste Management District O, arrangements have been made to remove and properly dispose of the sodium cyanide drums without cost to the citizen.

For more information, call the Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Services Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-3315.

GRANTS AND LOANS

DEPARTMENT AWARDS $121,000 GRANT TO ASSESS LITTLE SAC RIVER WATER QUALITY
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $121,144 grant to the University of Missouri to conduct an economic and environmental study of the Little Sac River in Polk and Greene counties.

The grant was awarded to the university's Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute to look at factors that contribute to the degradation of the stream's water quality and to consider the economic feasibility of alternative management scenarios. The analysis will provide a framework for addressing the watershed's nutrient water quality problems.

The department will use information from the study to develop a watershed management plan that will be incorporated into the total maximum daily load (TMDL) to be written in the future for the Little Sac River. TMDLs help identify actions that need to be taken in a watershed to improve water quality. According to Missouri's 1998 list of impaired waters, 27 miles of the river are considered impaired by fecal coliform.

The watershed of the Little Sac River includes Stockton Lake, which is a primary source of drinking water for Springfield. "The area around the Little Sac has one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States," said Steve Mahfood, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "It's vitally important that we learn, and do, all that we can to keep it healthy. The results of this study will help us make the right decisions for this valuable water resource."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 has provided funding for the grant under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The department's Water Pollution Control Program administers the grant. For more information, contact Claire Baffaut with the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute at 573-882-1251 or Gail Wilson with the Department of Natural Resources at 573-526-1535.

For more information about the department's water pollution control efforts, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpcp.

DEPARTMENT HELPS MILAN WITH LOAN FOR WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded $100,000 to Milan for sewer and water improvements to help relieve water supply shortages.

Milan, located in Sullivan County, will use the money to pay for a raw water intake and a pump station. Funding for the loan comes from a 1998 bond issue approved by Missouri voters for improvements to wastewater treatment, public drinking water and storm water systems. The interest rate on the loan will be approximately 50 percent below current market rates.

"This loan represents a savings of nearly $30,000 to the community of Milan," said Steve Mahfood, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "These types of loans allow important and vital environmental improvements to be made at an affordable level."

The loan will be administered by the department's Water Pollution Control Program. For more information, contact Jerry Smith at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1300.

YEAR END HIGHLIGHTS
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources had a busy year in 2003. Following is a glimpse of what the programs and regional offices within the department's Water Protection and Soil Conservation Division and Air and Land Protection Division did in 2003.

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM
The Soil and Water Conservation Program currently has 48 Agricultural Nonpoint Source Special Area Land Treatment (AgNPS SALT) projects approved around the state with three projects completed. In addition, 26 more applications for SALT projects will be reviewed and considered by the Soil and Water Conservation Commission in May. The SALT program is strictly a voluntary program to improve water quality through addressing agricultural nonpoint source pollution using a watershed-based approach.

In addition, the cost-share program provided $20,706,600 to Missouri landowners to implement conservation practices to reduce soil erosion on agricultural land. The 6,525 practices installed by landowners saved 3.4 million tons of Missouri soil at a cost of $6.10 per ton. The funds spent on these practices treated 105,000 acres of agricultural land. Missouri's districts used 87 percent of the funds available for landowners to apply conservation practices. This amount ties the record set in 2000 for the most cost-share claimed in any year since state cost-share has been available.

The winner of the 2003 Missouri Envirothon was Little Creek Nature Area of St. Louis County. They traveled to Emmitsburg, Md. last July for the international Canon Envirothon. The second place winner was Glendale High School and third place went to Scotland High School. In 2005, Missouri will host this international competition on the Southwest Missouri State University campus in Springfield.

Tools for Today and Tomorrow was the theme that drew 694 people to Tan-Tar-A for the 55th annual soil and water conservation districts Training Conference Dec. 1-3, 2003. Workshops ranged from technology use, formal dam inspections, personnel policies, communicating successfully with everyone, managing quail, and new ideas for the district's information and education programs.

For more information about the department's Soil and Water Conservation Program, call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-4932.

WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PROGRAM
The Storm Water Phase II Final Rule is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection agency's efforts to tackle water pollution. "Missouri is meeting EPA's expectations for Phase II and the permitting program is on track," said Phil Schroeder, of the Water Pollution Control Program. Roughly 75 percent of cities that are regulated under Phase II have applied for a permit or requested an exemption.

"We are very encouraged by these numbers," said Schroeder. Because of the early, significant participation by communities, the department will soon begin focusing on measuring the success and effectiveness of the plans.

Each year, the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) honors individuals and groups for their efforts to protect the environment. In 2003, the Department of Natural Resources Nonpoint Source Unit was named Water Conservationist of the Year for its work to preserve and protect water quality for Missouri residents. The Nonpoint Source Unit increased its outreach efforts to boost awareness of water pollution and the tools available to fight it. Staff offered one-day grant training sessions, made presentations and set up displays across the state to inform people about funding opportunities. The unit received a record setting 22 proposals for funding. The unit is also responsible for oversight and management of 74 projects that are currently up and running.

The Upper White River Basin Foundation in Branson will administer a $300,000 Watershed Initiative Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Watershed groups in Missouri and Arkansas will begin working toward improved water quality in the White River area. The money will be used to tackle poultry litter disposal methods in the watershed, coordinate regional pollution control efforts and encourage proper septic tank maintenance in both states. Missouri Gov. Bob Holden and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee forwarded the Upper White River proposal to EPA. The Upper White River proposal was one of 20 nationwide winners selected from more than 170 competitors. Department officials from both states say they are committed to protecting the watershed.

The Water Pollution Control Program has hosted several meetings over the course of the summer to help stakeholders in the Shoal Creek Watershed get organized and mobilized. Anne Peery, Total Maximum Daily Load Coordinator says the department has a firm commitment to help these groups get off the ground. "The desire is there," she said of the group's goals for watershed protection. "We've simply been showing them how other groups have successfully worked through these same types of issues." The meetings have provided residents with an opportunity to develop a management plan for Shoal Creek. Minimizing pollution and damage to the state's streams is no small or easy task. It takes determination, commitment and a willingness to do the right thing for the watershed and the people who live there. According to Peery, the department is always available to help local groups get started. "It's wonderful to see them step up to the plate," said Peery. "We can, and do, offer all kinds of support and guidance. But, they live with these issues every day. That makes them more than qualified to look for workable solutions."

From Sept. 18 to Oct. 18, citizens around the globe launched World Monitoring Day. They used the opportunity to monitor the water quality in their local watersheds the world over. Last year, more than 75,000 people across the nation participated in water quality monitoring, educational outreach opportunities and water festivals on National Water Quality Monitoring Day. In Missouri, 720 people volunteered their time to monitor 95 sites throughout the state.

The department helped communities across the state with financing and low cost loan opportunities. Here are just a few of projects that were funded in 2003:

• A Department of Natural resources grant will help fight pollution in 18 counties. A $187,317 grant was awarded to the University of Missouri-Columbia for a project involving irrigation and nitrogen management. The Team-Up project aims to address nonpoint source water pollution issues around the state. The Team-up demo project's goal is to reduce nitrate use and protect groundwater in the major irrigation areas of the state.
• The project entitled "From the Grassroots - Building Community Development into Watershed Management" received $101,973 in funding. The project encourages community involvement activities in 20 cities around the state. Local leaders will work together to discuss watershed problems, identify solutions and develop strategies that will improve water quality.
• The department awarded more the 10 million dollars in grants to 74 communities to make storm water improvements. The funding will be used to address specific areas that each of these communities has targeted for improvement.
• The Computer Assisted Nutrient Management Planning project will use $378,544 to improve water quality through improved nutrient management by farmers who use manure on their farms. The project will train teams of planners who will educate farmers and work with them to write more effective management plans.
• A grant for $89,685 will be used by the Mid-America Regional Council to demonstrate how to restore stream quality and prevent future impairment in Independence. The purpose of the initiative is to inform residents and local communities how they can help reduce water pollution.
• State Revolving Fund financing of $11,290,000 will be distributed among the communities of Bowling Green, Knob Noster, Green City, Marshfield and the Water Supply District #12 of Cass and Bates counties for drinking water improvements. The balance of the bond issuance is for wastewater system improvement loans of $16,605,000 for the cities of Ava, Bowling Green, Hayti, Savannah, Winona and the Center Creek Water Treatment Facility Board serving Webb City, Carterville and Oronogo.

For more information about the Water Pollution Control Program, call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1300.

PUBLIC DRINKING WATER PROGRAM
The department's Public Drinking Water Program has had a successful year ensuring safe drinking water for nearly all Missourians.

In 2003 community water systems in Missouri produced the fifth annual report to customers on the quality of their drinking water. To help the water systems accomplish this task, the department's Public Drinking Water Program provided more than 1,400 community water systems with draft reports, customized to each water system, so they could meet the requirements with a minimum of effort. These draft reports included data from the laboratories of the Environmental Services Program and the Department of Health and Senior Services on drinking water sample results, violation information from Public Drinking Water Program files and health effects language. Many small systems were able to use these draft reports without any modifications. The reports were completed and made public by water systems covering nearly 99 percent of the population served by community water systems in Missouri.

The Public Drinking Water Program's seventh Annual Compliance Report became available to the public on July 1, 2003. The report covers all of Missouri's 2,803 public water systems for calendar year 2002. The report lists all public water systems with maximum contaminant level violations and those systems with monitoring violation problems that have become chronic.

The Public Drinking Water Program also completed its assessment of public drinking water supplies for susceptibility to contamination. This included describing geographic areas that could influence the quality of drinking water and identifying potential contaminant sources within those areas. The Public Drinking Water Program conducted these assessments with assistance from the Geologic Survey and Resource Assessment Division and the University of Missouri's Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems.

In 2003, the program completed a special round of radionuclide testing. This round of testing was done as a result of the new federal radionuclides rule. Under the new rule, any monitoring data collected between June 2000 and Dec. 8, 2003, may be eligible for use as grandfathered data, which would be used to determine how often systems must monitor for radionuclides. By performing the special round of tests, the Public Drinking Water Program helped reduce the amount of expensive monitoring required by systems with minimal amounts of radionuclides. This saves the state significant testing costs and saved water systems from collecting quarterly samples.

For more information about the Public Drinking Water Program call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5331.

HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM
Hazardous Waste Program (HWP) Moves to Reduce Reporting Burdens
Part of the program's mission is to know and report how much hazardous waste is generated and handled in Missouri. Reports from hazardous waste handling businesses help us do that. However, industry members during recent meetings have pointed out excessive reporting burdens. The concerns raised were inconvenience, redundancy and amount of information and frequency.

The program reduced the amount of information to be submitted by updating the report forms. Electronic versions of report forms are now available on the Department's Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/download.htm#summaryreports.

Looking ahead in 2004, the program is working on electronic reporting options to reduce reporting frequency. Report forms are currently required four times per year.

Groundbreaking at Sugar Creek
On May 7, 2003, representatives of the city of Sugar Creek and BP Amoco signed a 99-year term lease agreement on 300 acres of the former Amoco refinery to develop a business park called "The Bluffs at Sugar Creek". The program's use of risk decision making and a phased implementation has insured a timely redevelopment opportunity for this site that would otherwise sit idle for years.

KWAME Building Group, Inc. - St. Louis
Program staff coordinated tax credit opportunities with the Department of Economic Development, which insured the success of this important redevelopment project in St. Louis. The Lofts on Washington, a seven-story building located on Washington Street, contained lead-based paint and asbestos contamination. KWAME Building Group, Inc. remediated the contamination with oversight from the Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program. The Property has now been redeveloped into office space and condominiums.

Riverfront Redevelopment - New Haven
The program and EPA worked together to approve a risk-based corrective action plan for the Riverfront Redevelopment site in New Haven that eliminates exposure for existing residents, while providing a feasible path for redevelopment. This site will become a riverfront recreation area for the city in time for Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebrations.

Alamo/Kansas City Aviation Department
Contamination at this site threatened revitalization efforts by the Kansas City Aviation Department. The program and the department's Environmental Services Program conducted sampling and determined the site safe to use under current risk-based standards.

St. Louis and Kansas City UST Fields
In partnership with EPA, the program spent about $200,000 to investigate and clean up old tank sites that are a foothold to blight in many St. Louis neighborhoods. The department is also working with Kansas City to identify and address tank sites in the urban core.

Nike Battery Kansas City Defense Area 30
This former missile control site was transferred to the Lone Jack School District after a successful cleanup overseen by the program.

Brownfields Cleanups
The Brownfields/Cleanup Program completed cleanup number 180.

Cleaning up Tank Sites
Staff oversaw tank closures at 337 sites and the cleanup of 111 sites in FY03, bringing to over 4,600 the number of tank sites cleaned up in Missouri.

More Missouri Sites Make the National Priorities List (NPL)
With support from the program, EPA added the Madison County Mines and Newton county Mine Tailings sites to the National Priority List, effective Oct. 29, 2003. The sites now qualify for cleanup under federal Superfund to address the lead contamination from historic mining, milling and smelting operations in those areas. The program helped oversee yard cleanups at an elementary school, two trailer parks and 217 homes in Madison County in 2003.

Tanks to Receive State Program Approval from EPA
After many years of running a successful program, the Tanks Program, with assistance from EPA, submitted a successful application for Program Approval, which is formal recognition by the federal government of the state tank program. EPA notified the program in December that its application is complete and would be published for comment in the Federal Register.Program Improves Inspection and Compliance through Technical Assistance.

When it comes to safe management of hazardous waste, businesses have asked for two things: a level playing field for compliance and a fair shot at knowing what the department expects. The program has developed dozens of self-audit tools, fact sheets and technical materials to aid businesses in the job of handling hazardous wastes safely. These materials increase compliance and decrease penalties. The program provided hundreds of hours of one-on-one assistance, including technical assistance visits by inspectors. The department's regional offices and the Outreach and Assistance Center are important partners in this area.

Addressing Electronics Waste (e-waste) Through New Initiatives
Old computers are the newest waste management challenge. The Hazardous Waste Program receives inquiries daily about locations and compliance status of electronics collectors. The program developed a guide for e-waste management that is now available.

Program staff provided guidance to 60 sites that were possibly accepting e-waste. Based on these visits, the program published a list of viable sites so that individuals and businesses could recycle used computers, confident that they would be handled properly. The program is drafting changes to Missouri's Universal Waste Rule to add e-wastes to promote safe, economical management alternatives. The program worked with owners of the two known illegal e-waste dumpsites to initiate cleanup.

HWP Developing Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator Rule
The program introduced rulemaking that would provide more options for the disposal of conditionally exempt quantities of hazardous waste. These wastes are prohibited from landfills, but because the quantities are small, there are not many disposal options for small businesses. Rules that would allow municipalities and others to collect this waste without the need to have full Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) permits will create more opportunities.

RCRA Corrective Action Program Receives High Marks from EPA
EPA Region 7 reviewed the program's Corrective Action program. The report applauded the program for quality, timely work and for excellent coordination with project stakeholders. An innovative cooperative program resulted in addressing cleanups faster without sacrificing quality.

For more information about the Hazardous Waste Program call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3176.

OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE OFFICE
The Outreach and Assistance Office's Rural Unit assisted the Missouri Dairy Growth Council (MDGC) in developing the Dairy Producers Industry Plan. MDGC was formed to counteract the long-term decline in the number of dairy farms and dairy cattle in Missouri. MGDC is comprised of dairy farmers, milk processors and agri-business interests from through out the state. The University of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources provide assistance to the Council. Activities in the plan are expected to improve Missouri's status as a dairy farm state. The plan contains 22 goals including a focus on environmental regulations and indirect environmental considerations.

The Outreach and Assistance Office's Rural Unit manages the Elk River Poultry Litter Compost Project. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the economic feasibility of using composting technology to better manage nutrients produced as a by-product of the poultry production industry in Southwest Missouri. Composting reduces the volume of litter that must be transported to areas where the nutrients are needed. In addition, composting neutralizes many of the objectionable qualities of litter, such as odor. The Rural Unit recently completed the procurement process for power equipment and facilities for the project. Construction of the composting pad at one of the demonstration sites has been completed and the second will be completed as weather dictates. The power equipment is scheduled to arrive in mid-January.

2003 Ratemaker Workshops
The Department of Natural Resources conducted another year of Show-Me Ratemaker workshops. Attendees told the Department they were quite pleased and they left with the realization that setting water and sewer rates is not the daunting task they had once dreaded..

Four regular sessions were held during spring in Sikeston, Macon, Sedalia and Springfield. The primary trainers were Carl Brown, chief of the Environmental Assistance Office's (EAO) government unit and the primary Ratemaker developer, and David Kindelspire, primary user charge specialist. Eighty-five community leaders, consultants and other interested parties attended these sessions.

A special "hands on" edition of the workshop was held in Jefferson City on April 22. Twelve participants brought data for their town or district. They used a computer and guidance on inputting and manipulating their data. Some left with their analysis complete except for a few details they needed from back home. They all left knowing how to finish it up.

If you missed these sessions and you are interested in attending in the future, please contact the Department at 800-361-4827. You will be added to a contact list to be notified about the next workshop sessions. Until then, you can download the Ratemaker software free of charge. Get your user charge analysis started today.

For more information about the Outreach and Assistance Program call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3443.

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PROGRAM
The Department's Environmental Services Program's Environmental Emergency Response (EER) Section remained busy in 2003 protecting Missouri's public safety, health and the environment.

As of Dec. 24, 2003, the EER Section received 3,433 incidents through the department's 24-hour emergency response telephone reporting system (573-634-2436). Of these, 380 required urgent attention at the scene by EER personnel.

Petroleum releases, as in past years, were commonplace accounting for 888 of all reported incidents. Several significant petroleum-related emergencies resulted in fires and contamination of groundwater and drinking water wells that will require long-term monitoring and cleanup. Transportation sources (highway, railway, waterway, pipeline and airport) accounted for 710 of the reported petroleum incidents.

Sixty-three reported incidents were related to agriculture. Included in these were fertilizer, pesticide, anhydrous ammonia and animal waste releases. Fifty-five mercury related calls were received, of which several required extensive clean up. The Department safely recycled nearly 700 pounds of mercury obtained from citizens around the state. Thirty-nine abandoned container reports were received, of which all were investigated and resolved. The EER Section also approved the destruction of 37 unstable explosives or ordnance related items in calls from military personnel.

Eight terrorism-related incidents were reported and addressed by the EER Section. In response to the ongoing threat of terrorism, six EER personnel completed a series of three demanding training courses in New Mexico, Nevada and Alabama to become a Weapons of Mass Destruction Specialist, a distinct honor in this field.

Clandestine drug labs, primarily methamphetimine (meth) labs, lead to 1,909 EER calls. The EER Section oversees Missouri's Clandestine Drug Lab Collection Station program. Notification to the EER Section is required each time meth lab materials are accepted at one of the 21 locally operated collection stations. EER personnel work closely with all of the collection station operators and assist in processing the hazardous chemicals delivered by law enforcement. Over 56,000 pounds of hazardous waste and debris from meth labs was processed and disposed of properly during 2003. The cost of disposal of all hazardous waste is approximately $155 per meth lab. Conservatively, it is estimated the Clandestine Drug Lab Collection Station program resulted in real savings of $3.5 million over traditional disposal methods during 2003 alone.

The Missouri Environmental Emergency Response Tracking System (MEERTS), the EER Section's emergency response computer database, is now on the department's Web site. By placing MEERTS on the Web, interested parties can easily access and read the valuable information it contains instead of traveling to the Department's Environmental Services Program office in Jefferson City to conduct file reviews.

The EER Section played a major role, along with three southeast Missouri local emergency planning committees, in planning and participating in a major training exercise near Cape Girardeau in September. The exercise simulated a variety of scenarios and is considered the largest deployment exercise of it's kind in Environmental Protection Agency Region 7. Over 100 participants from numerous local agencies and 13 state and federal agencies attended the exercise.

Oversight continued in Herculaneum of the lead contaminated streets and properties as a result of Doe Run's smelter processes. The EER maintained an almost daily presence at the site for most of 2003. In addition, 11 properties that comprise the Minker Stout and Romaine Creek dioxin sites were released for sale to the general public. This was accomplished after a long health consultation, involving EPA, the Department of Health and Senior Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, determined the sites were safe and presented little risk to the public.

The EER Section's Superfund/RCRA Unit installed over 300 Geoprobe borings. The original vehicle housing for the Geoprobe was replaced with a ¾ ton four-wheel drive diesel-powered truck retrofitted with the Geoprobe.

There were 84 sampling investigations conducted by the Superfund/RCRA Unit, with 39 of those related to Superfund, 21 to RCRA, 19 to Tanks, five to Federal Facilities. More than 830 samples were collected and analyzed by the Department's analytical laboratory.

For more information, call the Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Services Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-3315.

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL PROGRAM
St. Louis Ozone
On May 12, 2003, the department's request to redesignate the St. Louis nonattainment area to attainment for the one-hour ground-level ozone standard was been approved by EPA. During summer 2002, the area met the federal standard for the first time since monitoring began in the 1970s.

EPA published approval of the department's redesignation request as well as the maintenance plan in the Federal Register. The maintenance plan shows how the department will maintain the improvements in air quality and includes all of the controls put into place to bring the area into compliance. These measures will ensure that the air quality does not backslide.

Although the St. Louis metropolitan area was redesignated to attainment for the one-hour standard, the battle to improve and protect the St. Louis area's air quality, human health and its economic growth is far from over. EPA will announce designations for the eight-hour ozone standard, a more stringent standard, in April 2004.

Glover Redesignation
The department's request to redesignate the Doe Run facility in Glover marks the first time that any state formally requested the redesignation of a lead nonattainment area while a primary lead smelter remains operational. Air monitors near the Doe Run-Glover Smelter have not shown a violation of the federal airborne lead standard since the facility installed controls on Dec. 31, 1996. Because of the good air monitoring results, the department worked with Glover to develop a maintenance plan and redesignation request of the Glover area.

A public hearing regarding these documents was held at the Sept. 25, 2003, meeting of the Missouri Air Conservation Commission. The commission adopted the maintenance plan and redesignation request at their Oct. 30, 2003, meeting.

Air Program Advisory Forum
The Air Pollution Control Program reconvened the Air Program Advisory Forum in August 2003 to discuss basic operating permits, permit-by-rule options for the construction industry and the definition of insignificant levels. The forum consists of industry representatives, environmental groups and other interested stakeholders. The forum formed subcommittees to work on these three specified topics.

The subcommittee completed draft rule language for the revision to the Basic Operating Permit program. The changes will result in a drastic reduction in the paperwork required of small sources. The proposed rule will go through the formal rulemaking process. However, at their December 4 meeting, the Missouri Air Conservation Commission approved a blanket variance for two key provisions in the forthcoming rulemaking. This variance allows basic sources to begin taking advantage of the paperwork reductions immediately.

The forum agreed to look first at the construction industry for potential permit-by-rule development. This effort will include asphalt plants, concrete batch plants and quarrying operations. However, in a Dec. 3, 2003, meeting, the program and the construction industry achieved an interim agreement that will dramatically improve operational flexibility for the construction industry. Industry representatives met with program staff and the program agreed to grant the relief as requested while its work through the details of the construction industry permit-by-rule. The program is creating a temporary policy to reflect the recent agreement.

The forum members have achieved consensus on a proposal to increase the minimum level of emissions triggering a permit review. Again, the program is preparing to move forward on this proposal through formal rulemaking while providing flexibility to immediately implement some of the key provisions.

Missouri Emissions Inventory System
In January 2003, the Air Pollution Control Program announced that the online data entry was available for 2002 emissions data. The Missouri Emissions Inventory System (MoEIS) allows companies to submit their 2002 Emissions Inventory Questionnaire (EIQ) by using the Web. Over 300 companies used the MoEIS online system during the 2002-reporting year.

MoEIS reduces the time it takes a company to complete its EIQ since it pulls the static data about a facility from year to year reducing the amount of data entry involved. Companies only have to enter the information that changes from year to year such as annual throughputs and certain worksheets that need to be completed yearly. MoEIS also has built in quality checks to ensure that quality data is entered.

The program's staff is available to help facilities and answer questions. Staff can be reached via the Web at /env/apcp/moeis/MoEISinstructions.htm or by calling the toll-free hotline, 1-866-MoEIS4U.

For more information about MoEIS on the Web vist www.dnr.mo.gov/env/apcp/moeis/MoEISinstructions.htm.

New Online Air Quality Data System
In an effort to help the public stay current with information on ozone levels in their communities, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources launched the Missouri Air Quality Data System. This system enables the public to access raw data captured at air quality monitors statewide using the department's Web site.

The system, located at www.dnr.mo.gov/AQDS/index.do, allows users to choose the area of the state in which they are interested and, in the future, the pollutant of their choice. At this time, ground-level ozone is the only pollutant available for viewing. Department staff designed the system to allow additional pollutants to be added in the future.

The air-monitoring network includes more than 60 monitoring sites located across the state. The network monitors for seven pollutants:

• carbon monoxide
• lead
• nitrogen dioxide
• ozone
• two types of inhalable particles
• sulfur dioxide

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
In 2003, the Department of Natural Resources' Solid Waste Management Program made gains against illegal dumping, waste tire cleanups and moved closer to presenting a statewide plan for solid waste management while losing funding for cleaning up waste tires and a 100 percent loss of general revenue funding.

Videotapes Lead to Conviction of Illegal Dumping Activity
Early in the year, the department provided prosecutors in Saline County with videotape that led to conviction of 15 persons caught on tape illegally dumping trash. Another three convictions were made in Cooper County using videotaped evidence.

Following those convictions, the tapes showing the dumping activity were posted on the department's Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/videos.htm. Posting resulted in numerous media inquiries that resulted in several stories about local illegal dumping problems and drawing further attention to the department's commitment to stop the environmental harm done by widespread illegal dumping. In addition, the department is working with officials in St. Louis to set hidden cameras at dumpsites within the city. Officials from the states of Maine, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Washington, Indiana and Massachusetts; the cities of San Francisco, San Diego and Visalia, CA and Ontario Canada also contacted the department to learn more about the anti-dumping effort.

Waste Tire Fee Expires
The program's Waste Tire Unit began to wind down it's efforts to cleanup statewide illegal tire dumps as collection of the 50-cent fee on the sale of each new tire in Missouri ended on Dec. 31, 2003. The fee also funded approximately 10 department staff statewide, provided incentives for non-profit groups to help clean up waste tires and provided grants to encourage the use of recycled waste tires as surfacing on playgrounds.

Twelve million waste tires have been removed from the state's landscape, but more than 3 million remain to be collected. Several bills that would renew the tire fee collections have been introduced in the current legislative session.

The Waste Tire Unit also conducted a five-month effort to encourage private landowners to cleanup illegal tire dumps on property they had purchased or inherited. Owners paid about 20 cents per tire to remove approximately 300,000 tires from 110 sites. The program's cleanup efforts will continue until the Waste Tire Fund isdepleted. This is expected sometime in June 2004.

Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan
The program completed its final planning meetings with persons representing a wide range of business, local government, solid waste management district, recycling, institutional and waste industry interests involved in creating a statewide plan for solid waste management. During the most recent meeting, the participants addressed redistribution of the program's Solid Waste Management Fund.

The fund is created through the collection of a per-ton disposal fee on wastes taken to Missouri landfills or delivered through transfer stations to waste facilities out of state. Legislation has been proposed to redistribute this fund to replace general tax revenue that had, until November 2002, been funding 59 percent of the department's solid waste management efforts.

NORTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE
The department's Northeast Regional Office, located in Macon, had a busy year in 2003. With the closing of the department's Jefferson City Regional Office, the northeast region obtained six additional counties. Some of the activities that kept this regional office busy are as follows.

The Northeast Regional Office investigated 72 hazardous waste complaints, 36 of which were regarding waste oil. At some of the investigations, worker safety and injury issues may have been compromised.

There were 21 Underground Storage Tank closure inspections. Many of these closures were at sites where the tanks have not operated for several years. Proper closure of these systems, including any required remediation of any contaminated areas, helps protect the environment while providing potential for future land use at these sites.

Sixty Resource Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA) inspections were conducted. One of these was a high profile large quantity generator with major violations and potential impacts with the land application of sludge from a pretreatment plant on acreage owned by public entities and private citizens.

For the calendar year 2003, the Northeast Regional Office's Air Pollution Control Unit received 445 complaints that were investigated on average within one day of receipt. This total included 334 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) odor complaints. CAFO odors were investigated on-site 21 times in response to these complaints; however, no Notices of Violations were issued. Nineteen Notices of Violation were issued for illegal open burning.

With the closure of the Jefferson City Regional Office, the Northeast Region received six additional counties. In order to serve the regulated community better, the Water Pollution Unit was divided into an Engineering and Permits Unit and Inspections and Enforcement Unit. The Engineering and Permits Unit reviews and issues construction and operating permits, including issuing over the counter land disturbance permits within a regulatory timeframe. The Inspections and Enforcement Unit conducts facility inspections, coordinates enforcement issues, responds to complaints, and provides technical assistance in facility operations.

In 2003 the Public Drinking Water Unit of the Northeast Region presented six training courses that trained 107 water system operators. The unit presented an advanced water operators treatment course at the northeast section of the Water and Wastewater Conference and the annual northeast conference. Our source water protection efforts have been progressing steadily and we now have all but one or two of our surface water systems working on source water protection plans. We are far enough along with the surface water systems that we have started on the next step, which is wellhead protection.

For more information, call the department's Northeast Regional Office at 660-385-2129.

ST. LOUIS REGIONAL OFFICE
The Department's St. Louis Regional Office (SLRO) had another successful year, implementing new regulations related to Air and the Gateway Clean Air Program. The new federal standard for ozone went into effect while keeping the same counties under the same attainment maintenance area related to air quality.

In 2003, the St. Louis Regional Office accepted additional responsibilities and challenges by transferring regional responsibility for the Doe Run Co. from the Southeast Regional Office in Poplar Bluff. In addition, Gasconade and Montgomery counties were added to the St. Louis Region, as a result of the Jefferson City Regional Office closure. SLRO took the lead in coordinating the Department of Natural Resources efforts with local and federal authority in putting out the fire at "Charles scrap metal" site in Jefferson County. Our efforts will continue into the settlement and enforcement phases of this "issue" project.

The office presently employs about 52 environmental specialists, engineers and support staff. Personnel inspect environmental control facilities, investigate environmental complaints and respond to environmental emergencies. Inspection and Maintenance staff was reassigned to the Air Pollution Control Program instead of reporting to SLRO, but are still housed at the SLRO. The St. Louis Regional Office has three satellite offices, one in Jefferson County, one in Franklin County and one in Lincoln County.

The St. Louis Regional Office serves the eight counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren, Gasconade and Montgomery counties.

St. Louis Regional Office mailing address is 7545 S. Lindbergh, Suite 210, St. Louis, MO 63125. Phone 314-416-2960, fax at 314-416-2970.

For more information, contact Mohamad Alhalabi at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' St. Louis Regional Office at 314-416-2960.

KANSAS CITY REGIONAL OFFICE
In 2003, the department's Kansas City Regional Office continued to assist the people and businesses of the state's northwestern and western counties. This year the region expanded to cover 23 counties.

The regional office received and investigated 621 complaints concerning environmental issues. As a result of those investigations or as a result of findings from the 1,477 routine inspections conducted, the regional office issued 348 Notices of Violation or similar documents for various environmental concerns involving water pollution, air pollution, hazardous waste, solid waste, drinking water, or underground petroleum storage tanks.

The regional office has conference rooms used by department staff or outside groups concerned with environmental issues. In 2003 the conference rooms were used 60 times for meetings or training. There were just over 2,000 visitors to the office. The water specialists in the regional office trained over 432 people employed by local communities or businesses. Some of the training classes were held at the regional office and some on-site throughout the region. There were 18 classes from 1 to 12 days in length.

The water pollution unit in the regional office issued 150 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for construction and 560 for facility operation. The air unit issued 587 burn permits.

The region has numerous communities with surface drinking water supplies. This year the Missouri Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (MOCREP) was successfully employed in the region. Under MOCREP, farmers receive enhanced funding for keeping land out of row crop production. The land must be in the watershed of a drinking water supply impoundment. $1,086,290 was awarded, with 10 systems participating.

For more information, contact the Kansas City Regional Office at telephone number 816-622-7000.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE
The Southeast Regional Office (SERO) at Poplar Bluff gained four counties and five employees during 2003 with the closing of the Jefferson City Regional Office. Commenting on the subject, SERO Director Gary Gaines said, "In general I am very pleased with the changes to our region. We picked up Crawford, Phelps, Maries, and Pulaski Counties, expanding SERO's area of responsibility from 24 to 28 counties. But more importantly we picked up five outstanding employees who worked at the Jefferson City Regional Office, including Tucker Fredrickson, Darlene Helmig, Walter Shull, Larry Teson and Ronnie Testerman. Ronnie has since retired, but the others are still living in the Jefferson City area and doing good work for SERO."

Gaines went on to say, "All the staff at SERO have just been great. We were under a hiring freeze for most of the year, which meant we had vacancies we could not fill. But the staff pitched in and inspected over 1,800 environmental facilities, investigated over 600 environmental complaints and issued hundreds of permits during the year, all while providing technical assistance, responding to emergencies and performing many other duties. You could not ask for a better group to serve the citizens of Missouri."

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Visit Calendar of Events at /calendar/search.do for a complete list of Department of Natural Resources' events through the end of the calendar year.

FREE WORKSHOPS OFFERED
The Department of Natural Resources Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) is offering free workshops on erosion and land disturbance in February. The aim of the workshops is to assist contractors, developers and government agencies put workable sediment and erosion control practices into place.

The purpose of the workshop is to assist regulated entities to maintain compliance, focus on Best Management Practices, provide an overview of urban erosion and discuss permitting and regulatory considerations. The seminars will also present real-life construction site erosion control examples for discussion and evaluation. The training is free and EAO will provide instructional material.

Class dates and locations include

• Feb. 3, Joplin
• Feb. 4, Joplin
• Feb. 5, Kansas City
• Feb. 10, Hannibal
• Feb. 11, Macon
• Feb. 18, Sikeston
• Feb. 19, Sikeston
• Feb. 20, Jefferson City

For more information, contact Guy Frazier or Glenn Lloyd at 800-361-4827.

AIR CONSERVATION COMMISSION TO MEET FEB. 3
The Missouri Air Conservation Commission will hold a public meeting at 9 a.m., Feb. 3, at the Harry S. Truman Building, 301 W. High St., Jefferson City. A subsequent meeting will be held April 29.

For more information, call the department's Air Pollution Control Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-4817.

WATER QUALITY COORDINATING COMMITTEE TO MEET FEB. 17
The Water Quality Coordinating Committee will hold a public meeting at 9 a.m., Feb. 17 at the Columbia Environmental Research Center Conference Builing, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia. Subsequent meetings will be held on March 16, April 20 and May 18.

For more information, call the department's Water Pollution Control Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1300.

CLEAN WATER COMMISSION TO MEET MARCH 10
The Missouri Clean Water Commission will hold a public meeting at 9 a.m., March 10 at the Governor Office Building, 200 Madison St., Jefferson City.

For more information, call the department's Water Pollution Control Program at 800-361-4827 or573-751-1300.

AWARD-WINNING TRAINING PROGRAM EXPANDS
The Environmental Management Institute (EMI) won the Governor's Award for Quality and Productivity in 1999. Since its inception in 1998, EMI has trained over 850 local government leaders and their assistance providers in environmental issues. The program has been so successful that several of the topics have outgrown the two-day workshop. The EMI name no longer fits. It's time to reorganize and rename.

The department is pleased to announce the formation of the "Resource Management Institute" (RMI). Starting in 2004, under the RMI umbrella, the entire department's Outreach and Assistance Center's (OAC) existing and soon-to-exist workshops will be brought together under the RMI umbrella and included in a catalog of courses. The catalog will soon be available both in printed form and posted on the Department's Web site.

The topics formerly taught in the two-day EMI workshop will now be taught in two separate workshop sessions offered on consecutive days. On the first day, the Environmental Issues workshop will focus on the key issues for local government leaders. On the second day, the Environmental Infrastructure workshop will focus on the interests of utility managers and operational staff. We recommend that everyone who attends one of those sessions attend the other session, too.

Some of the other workshops offered in the RMI series will include the Show-me Ratemaker, storm water, asset management and issues related to business, historic preservation and more. Ratemaker and asset management will be given on consecutive days because they are so closely related.

As this issue goes to press, the 2004 schedule for OAC's workshops has not yet been finalized. However, the schedules for four of the workshops look like this:

Environmental Issues and Infrastructure	Asset Management and Ratemaker
May 5 - 6 in Sikeston May 19 - 20 in Warrensburg Sept. 8 - 9 in Hannibal Oct. 20 - 21 in Springfield Aug. 18 - 19 in Macon	April 1 - 2 in Kansas City April 28 - 29 in Branson May 12 - 13 in Jefferson City July 7 - 8 in Kirkwood Sept. 29 - 30 in Poplar Bluff

Confirmed schedules and registration information will soon be posted on the Department's Web site. The most convenient way to keep up-to-date on our training opportunities, funding opportunities and other items of interest is to sign up for our broadcast e-mail 'listserv' service at www.dnr.mo.gov. Or, call the Department at 800-361-4827 for more information.

Over the past six years, nearly 2,000 local government leaders and assistance providers have attended Department workshops to improve their environmental and assistance performance. With RMI, the Department is expanding that reach even more.

WASTE CONTROL COALITION CALLS FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS
The Missouri Waste Control Coalition (MWCC), will hold it's 31st annual conference June 27 - 29, 2004, at the Lodge of the Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks. The MWCC has issued a call for papers with a March 15 deadline. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is a member of the MWCC.

Cliff Metcalf, coalition president-elect, said, "The MWCC is seeking speakers to present new and exciting ideas in panel discussions of 15 to 30 minutes." Presenters will be selected and contacted in March. "At this time we are planning three primary tracks: environmental management, solid waste issues and solutions and resource recovery," said Metcalf. "We will focus on new technologies, industrial waste management, landfill innovations, remediation, pollution prevention, recycling and market development, composting, extended product responsibility, green products, environmental design, waste program financing and other related topics."

For more information, or to obtain a form, contact Metcalf at 314-647-8338 or e-mail to cliff@tririnse.com. Forms may be sent to the MWCC, 8826 Santa Fe Drive #208, Overland Park, KS 66212, faxed to (913) 381-9308 or e-mail to mwcc@sbcglobal.net.

RULES UPDATE

The Regulatory Agenda contains all environmental rule actions in progress and rule actions effective within the last three months within the Department of Natural Resources.

For more information, contact the Department of Natural Resources' Air and Land Protection Division at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-6892. For the latest updates visit the Regulatory Agenda Web page.

Clean Water Commission	Methodology for Development of Impaired Waterbody List
Rule Number: 020-07.050 - The methodology used for developing the 303 (d) List is required to be submitted to EPA. This rulemaking will allow staff to meet the directive of the Missouri Clean Water Commission to codify the existing methodology.
Public comment ends: Feb. 11, 2004	Public hearing: Jan. 28, 2004
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published	Department contact: 573-751-7428

Land Reclamation Commission	Performance Requirements
Rule Number: 040-10.020 - This rulemaking will help to ensure that commercial gravel mining within stream environments is conducted in a manner that will minimize the effects to water resources of the state and help to protect the stream corridor from accelerated erosion.
Public comment ends: May 1, 2004	Public hearing: March 25, 2004
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published	Department contact: 573-751-4041

Land Reclamation Commission	Permit Application Requirements
Rule Number: 040-10.050 - This rulemaking will help to ensure that commercial gravel mining within stream environments is conducted in a manner that will minimize the effects to water resources of the state and help to protect the stream corridor from accelerated erosion.
Public comment ends: May 1, 2004	Public hearing: March 25, 2004
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published	Department contact: 573-751-4041

Air Conservation Commission	Asbestos Abatement Projects - Certification, Accreditation and Business Exemption Requirements
Rule Number: 010-06.250 - This proposed rule amendment will remove forms from the rule, update the rule organization format and correct minor Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) references that are now obsolete.
Public comment ends: April 1, 2004	Public hearing: March 25, 2004
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published	Department contact: 573-751-4817

Air Conservation Commission	Asbestos Abatement Projects - Registration, Notification and Performance Requirements
Rule Number: 010-06.240 - This rescission is being proposed because a court decision determined that this rule was void from inception.
Public comment ends: April 1, 2004	Public hearing: March 25, 2004
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published	Department contact: 573-751-4817

Air Conservation Commission	Permit Application Requirements
Rule Number: 010-06.241 - The new rule will establish asbestos demolition project inspection fees using National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants requirements, remove forms from regulations, reinstate asbestos requirements and make a few minor citation corrections.
Public comment ends: April 1, 2004	Public hearing: March 25, 2004
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published	Department contact: 573-751-4817

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public service announcements may be downloaded for use by any newspaper, magazine, newsletter, radio stations, etc. The department will continue to add new announcements to the Web each month. If you would like to receive new announcements by e-mail as they are made available, please contact kathy.deters@dnr.mo.gov and provide your publication name and e-mail address.

REGIONAL OFFICE MAP

Department of Natural Resources' Regional Offices provide field inspections, complaint investigation and front-line troubleshooting, problem solving and technical assistance on environmental and emergencies for the following programs:

Air Pollution Drinking Water Hazardous Waste Solid Waste Technical Assistance Water Pollution

INTERNET ADDRESSES

Missouri Department of Natural Resources at www.dnr.mo.gov

Division of Environmental Quality at www.dnr.mo.gov/env

Air Pollution Control Program at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/apcp

Division of Geology and Land Survey at www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/

Energy Center at www.dnr.mo.gov/energy

Environmental Services Program at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/esp

Gateway Clean Air Program at www.gatewaycleanair.com

Hazardous Waste Program at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp

Historic Preservation at www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/index.html

Land Recl