Protecting Missouri's Natural Resources is a monthly newsletter that informs readers about environmental issues.
MAY 2006
RAIN DAMPENS, DOES NOT BREAK DROUGHT ACROSS MISSOURI
Recent heavy rainfall throughout Missouri, especially in the southwest, has helped the state’s drought status, according to the Missouri Drought Assessment Committee.
The committee determined that 12 counties in southwest Missouri should remain in a Phase 3, or “conservation phase,” drought and two more should be added. “Heavy rains in several regions of the state have been helpful, but insufficient to break the drought,” said Mike Wells, committee chairman and deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
“While the heavy rains across much of the state improved topsoil moisture and many lake levels, we’ll need more beneficial rains over the next few months to make up the large deficits that have accumulated since February 2005,” Wells said. “The current drought extends back nearly 15 months and is affecting subsoil moisture levels, groundwater levels and well levels across a large part of the state.”
Some rainfall did prompt the committee to upgrade St. Charles, St. Louis, Chariton, Randolph and Howard counties from Phase 2 to Phase 1. These upgrades occurred due to recent two-inch
rainfall totals.
In addition to those counties in Phase 3 drought, 51 counties were determined to be in Phase 2, “drought alert,” and 32 were classified Phase 1, “advisory phase,” which is the least serious drought level. The remaining 17 Missouri counties are not considered to be in any sort of drought.
For more information, including the current drought map, the Missouri Drought Plan and information on the Drought Assessment Committee, see the drought Web page at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wrc/droughtupdate.htm.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES UNIT CHIEF BRAD HARRIS HONORED BY WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY DRUG CZAR
Brad Harris, chief of the Meth/Special Projects unit in the department’s Environmental Services Program, was one of nine Missourians specially honored by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for work in the fight against methamphetamine. ONDCP Deputy Director Scott Burns and U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway awarded the special recognition in a March 8 press conference held in St. Louis. Harris also was recognized later for his work by U.S. Senator Jim Talent.
Of Harris, a news release from the Department of Justice said, “After receiving numerous complaints from multiple law enforcement agencies around the state about meth lab clean up, Harris developed a state program that has become a national model. Harris was able to work with the EPA to secure funding to start a program that allowed state and local officers who had received meth lab training to safely transport hazardous waste to any one of 20 sites around Missouri operated by volunteer agencies. These hazardous waste containers are operated by local fire and law enforcement officials and the Department of Natural Resources pays for the program to safely and legally remove and destroy the hazardous waste removed from meth labs.
The first hazardous waste container was opened in October 1998 and since that time the 20 containers have received meth lab waste from 9,525 labs across the state. This accounts for 378,491 lbs. of hazardous waste that has been collected to date. This was done at a conservative cost savings of $22 million over conventional waste handling. Harris has worked closely with numerous local and state law enforcement officials to produce a model program for the nation.”
Other award recipients were from the Missouri Highway Patrol, Missouri National Guard, and other county and municipal law enforcement officers from around the state.
DEPARTMENT HOSTS ROLLA FIFTH GRADERS FOR DAY OF EARTH SCIENCE
Three hundred fifth graders from Rolla Middle School attended the annual “Rolla School Daze” event at the Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday, May 2. Students were treated to a half-day of earth science presentations concentrating on environmental protection, geology, land surveying and
water issues.
Teachers accompanied their students to six presentations geared to supplement classroom curriculums. They learned about Mozarkite, the state rock, and Galena, the state mineral and its role as a primary lead ore. Students also learned about Ice Age mammals, fossils, and tools used by geologists over a century ago. “We were delighted to see how the displays captured their attention,” said Brenna McDonald, a geologist with the department’s Division of Geology and Land Survey. “It’s especially nice to see children talking amongst themselves about the things they were learning.”
Dressed as an original United States deputy surveyor in the early 1800s, a Land Survey Program staff member explained how the Louisiana Purchase provided for the western expansion and methods used by 1800s surveyors to map out the old west. Another demonstration offered modern land surveying techniques that included satellite technology.
A video showing a camera in a water well drew interest, as did a discussion about protecting against environmental contamination. Another video explained the water cycle, groundwater regions of the state, the importance of clean water and ways to prevent pollution to the groundwater. A discussion and video about the importance of dam safety rounded out the presentations.
“It was a very good day. The kids had fun while learning at the same time and the sessions supplemented topics covered in our fifth grade curriculum,” according to Jeanie Strain, Rolla Middle School fifth grade teacher. Strain explained that teachers are encouraged to utilize outside sources to deliver portions of the curriculum objectives, “Its how you present it to them that makes a
lasting impression.”
“We’re pleased to be able to offer educational presentations for earth science classes,” said State Geologist and DGLS Director Mimi Garstang. “It is our hope to spark student interest in careers in the field of science someday.”
PARKWAY NORTH HIGH SCHOOL SWEEPS 2006 ENVIROTHON
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| Students make calculations during the 2006 Envirothon competition in Jefferson City. |
Parkway North High School swept the 2006 Envirothon May 4 in Jefferson City, taking the top three spots in the 19-team competition.
The sweep was the result of hard work and commitment, said Morgan Weir, a member of Parkway North’s first-place team. Weir’s team held study-session sleepovers and weekend activities, met with natural resources experts, and stayed after school several days a week preparing for the event.
“Our slogan is ‘Envirothon owns me,’” the Parkway North junior said.
This was the first time for most of the Parkway North students to compete in the Envirothon, said team advisor Bill Bowman. “I feel very honored to work with these kids,” Bowman said.
Students competed at five outdoor testing stations, aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife and the 2006 current conservation issue, water stewardship in a changing climate.
Test stations required the five-student teams to answer a variety of both hands-on and written natural resource questions. Each team also presented an oral presentation to a panel of judges.
The team will go on to compete at the 2006 Canon Envirothon in Winnipeg, Manitoba July 23 to 29. The Envirothon is North America’s largest high school natural resources competition, with more than 40 states and seven Canadian provinces competing at the national level.
Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers reminded the participants of the need for talented students in the fields of science, technology and natural resources.
“I can tell you that we haven’t even begun to see what will develop in your lifetime,” Childers said. “The Envirothon gives you a big step ahead as you move forward in your future.”
Childers, a former science teacher, then quizzed students as they waited for the results of the competition.
The state event features the top three teams from each of Missouri’s seven regional competitions held throughout the year. Contact your local soil and water conservation district office for regional competition dates.
Sponsors for the Missouri Envirothon include: Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, local soil and water conservation districts, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts Employee Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Missouri Extension, Show-Me Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, and Missouri American Water. For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Soil and Water Conservation Program at 573-751-4932 or the department toll free at 800-361-4827.
WASHINGTON COUNTY LEAD MINING DISTRICT SITE
Lead Levels |
In Superfund there are Removal Actions and Remedial Actions.
400 ppm is a cleanup trigger. Yards with less than 400 ppm lead are considered safe for residential use. However, if there is a child with elevated blood lead living at a house, the yard will be excavated first, even before the 1,200 ppm yards, no matter what the level is in the yard. The lead must be removed from the child's environment as soon |
The Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), identified lead contamination in drinking water and residential yard soils during an investigation at the Washington County Lead Mining District Site. This investigation was planned and implemented by the Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with city and county officials, the Washington County Health Department, the Department of Health and Senior Services, EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It is part of a statewide project to identify all lead and zinc mining, milling, smelting and processing sites in the state in order to evaluate sites based on their potential risk to human health and the environment.
Since June 2005, the department and EPA have collected more than 8,000 soil samples from 1,289 residential yards, 140 samples of mine waste material, and more than 550 private drinking water well samples in and around Potosi, Cadet, Mineral Point, Richwoods and Old Mines areas as part of the investigation. Of the 1,289 properties sampled, soil sample results showed 43 percent contain lead above 400 parts per million. Of those, 11 percent contained lead above 1,200 ppm. Of the drinking water wells sampled, 107 contained lead above EPA’s Action Level of 15 parts per billion. Currently EPA is supplying bottled water to those residences with contaminated wells.
The Washington County Lead District is divided into three sites to facilitate various removal actions. The EPA will conduct cleanup of residential yards that have lead contamination above 1200 ppm. The department anticipates “time-critical removal” of contaminated residential yard soil in the Potosi area to start in the spring of 2006. The department will be working with EPA to continue sampling residential soil and private drinking water wells at all sites in the Washington County Lead District.
CLEAN HARBORS (PPM) INC. COMPLETES CLOSURE
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources recently reviewed and approved the certification and supporting documentation for closure of the Clean Harbors (PPM) Inc., facility. Clean Harbors is located at 806 Genessee in Kansas City. The Clean Harbors facility was operating under a Missouri Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Materials Management Permit, issued Oct. 3, 1997. Clean Harbors was permitted for accepting, storing and chemically treating PCB-containing mineral oil dielectric fluid, kerosene and several other oils. Clean Harbors stored these oils in containers before treating on-site or shipping off-site.
The department received and is processing a permit modification request from Clean Harbors. If approved, the permit modification will change the expiration date of Clean Harbor’s Missouri PCBs Materials Management Permit.
For more information, please contact Dave Walker of the department’s Hazardous Waste Program, at 573-751-3553
or 800-361-4827.
DEPARTMENT RECEIVES PERMIT MODIFICATION REQUEST FOR SOUTHWEST REGIONAL LANDFILL IN JASPER COUNTY
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources received a request for a change of ownership from Enviro-Site Management following its purchase of the Southwest Regional Landfill.
The permitted landfill is located about four miles north of Alba, on Highway M in Jasper County.
In light of recent interest over the Southwest Regional Landfill, the department has established an information repository at the Webb City Public Library, located at 101 South Liberty St.
The repository will contain copies of all correspondence between the department and the Southwest Regional Landfill, beginning with the recent request for a change of ownership. These and future documents will be available for public review during regular library hours.
For more information on the department’s solid waste management permitting process, call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5401.
WELDON SPRING SITE CELEBRATION A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
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| Ribbon cutting at the Hamburg Trail. Pictured l to r: Tom Pauling, project manager, Department of Energy, Joe Ortwerth, County Executive for St. Charles County, Jim Gulliford, Regional Administrator for EPA Region 7, Denise Garnier, assistant director, Missouri Department of Conservation and Doyle Childers, director, Missouri Department of Natural Resources. |
Attended by more than 50 stakeholders, the Weldon Spring celebration was held to commemorate several milestones for this historic undertaking. On April 12, federal, state and local stakeholders assembled to participate in several events. The celebration was held at the Weldon Spring Interpretive Center at the site. The Interpretive Center and surrounding Howell Prairie were created during site cleanup. With over 15,000 visitors last year, the center offers opportunities for developing a better understanding of the efforts and sacrifices of area residents and workers during World War II and the Cold War. The prairie is an example of how native plants can be
re-established and includes an
interpretive garden.
The celebration also acknowledged a Federal Facility Agreement between the Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Natural Resources. This new partnership was created to address the long-term monitoring of residual contamination and maintenance of site features that will be necessary to ensure continued safety for the community and environment.
Doyle Childers, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, acknowledged the political challenges that had to be resolved to reach the consensus necessary to move this unique project forward. He also thanked all the partners for the commitment shown in working together to turn an environmental hazard into a community asset. Paul T. Mydler, Chair of the Weldon Spring Citizens Commission, also noted the great strides in technology used at the Weldon Spring site, specifically as it related to the creation of the disposal cell. In addition, he pointed out that the Interpretive Center is viewed by other states as an example of how communities can benefit in multiple ways from a Department of Energy site cleanup. Other speakers commemorating this event included Pam Thompson, former DOE Project Manager; Jim Guliford, EPA Region 7 Regional Administrator; Denise Garnier, Assistant Director, Missouri Department of Conservation; and Joe Ortworth, St. Charles
County Executive.
In addition to commemorating transition of the site from cleanup to long-term stewardship, the event marked the official opening of the Hamburg Trail. This trail is a hiking and biking path constructed as part of remediation conducted by the Department of Energy at the former uranium processing plant in St. Charles County. The trail connects the Department of Conservation’s August A. Busch Conservation Area with the Department of Natural Resource’s award winning Katy Trail. The event emphasized the educational and recreational opportunities created as an integral part of the public information component of the remedy. This is a very important aspect of the remedy as community awareness is crucial to ensuring safety over the many years this site will remain a
potential hazard.
The department considers this project and celebration an example of how federal, state, local agencies, and community residents can work together to successfully conduct cleanup and provide for re-use of the site while enhancing the recreational resources. This event also serves as a reminder of the cooperation that will be necessary to monitor the site into the future.
For more information on the Weldon Spring Site or other federal facilities in Missouri, contact the department’s Hazardous Waste Program at 573-751-3907 or 800-361-4827.
DEPARTMENT HOSTS PUBLIC MEETING FOR LUETKEMEYER FARMS CAFO PERMIT
In response to public concern, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is hosted a public information meeting on the proposed Luetkemeyer Farms concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in Ralls County. More than 100 residents came out to gather information and learn more about the proposed operation.
The meeting was held May 23, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Monroe City. Participants visited one-on-one with representatives from the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Health and Senior Services, Ralls County Health Department, University of Missouri Extension, Cargill and the Protect Mark Twain Lake Association.
In January, Luetkemeyer Farms applied for a CAFO construction permit for a Class 1C operation. A Class 1C CAFO can house between 2,500 and 7,499 hogs. Luetkeymeyer Farms proposed the facility would include 5,000 hogs and a no-discharge operation.
No-discharge means the process wastes are contained and stored until proper land application can
take place.
The department is reviewing Luetkemeyer Farms’ permit application. The department must ensure that the permit application complies with Missouri law and that the operations will protect the quality of the water in the Mark Twain Lake watershed. If the permit application meets all regulatory requirements and demonstrates that the operation will protect waters of the state, the department is required to issue the permit. The department expects to make a permit determination by June 30.
For more information about the permitting process or the department’s Water Protection Program, or call 800-361-4827
or 573-751-1300.
BROWNFIELDS/VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM OVERSEES SUCCESSFUL CLEANUPS
The Department of Natural Resources has issued certificates of completion for several new Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program
(BVCP) sites.
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 BVCP, 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 “Certificates of Completion” from the state.
St. Louis City Hospital Project
“For decades, the abandoned City Hospital complex on Lafayette Avenue, with its smashed windows, ruined rooftops and weed-strewn lots, looked like the set for an urban horror movie.” So it was published in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2004. Now that site is the location of major redevelopment thanks in part to cleanup funded through Brownfield Remediation Tax Credits.
The first building was built in 1906 and the multi-building complex was abandoned in 1985. The decaying buildings contained acres of lead-based paint and miles of asbestos-insulated piping, plus the site contained four different underground
storage tanks.
The site was enrolled in the BVCP in April 1999 by the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA). Beginning in 2002, LCRA selectively demolished buildings, including the concrete Malcolm Bliss Mental Health Center. Some of the more attractive red brick buildings, including the 1912 Georgian style main administration building, were cleaned up for adaptive reuse. The large volume of asbestos and lead paint to be reduced at the site made renovation and reuse unlikely without state Brownfield Remediation Tax Credits. $3.8 million in tax credits were awarded to the site, in addition to other local, state and federal assistance for the redevelopment.
In June 2004, with the cleanup nearing completion, the site was sold to Gilded Age Renovation, LLC, for $700,000. Gilded Age plans a mixed-use redevelopment, beginning with 100 loft-type condos built into the old Administration and East and West Ward Buildings. The $30 million project is dubbed The Georgian, after the distinctive style of the original building. Eventually the development will include more than 450,000 square feet of office, residential, retail and parking space.
The site lies within a larger area that is undergoing wide scale redevelopment. The demolition of the Darst-Webbe public housing complex is already completed and replacement with the new King Louis Square mixed-income housing development to the north and east is underway.
As often happens with large projects where local government leads the redevelopment charge, private developments are now springing up around the City Hospital. The site faces a redevelopment area known as Bohemian Hill, across Park Street to the south. Mixed-use development is planned for that site by a private developer. The City Hospital redevelopment also provides a connection between the historic Lafayette Square and Soulard neighborhoods.
Cypress Village Shopping Center - St. Ann
The BVCP issued a Certificate of Completion for the Cypress Village Shopping Center at 10825 St. Charles Rock Road in St. Ann.
Environmental assessments performed in the 1990s discovered that a dry cleaner was formerly located along St. Charles Rock Road prior to the construction of the 10-acre shopping center. A shallow groundwater plume of perchloroethylene (PCE) dry cleaning fluid extended several hundred feet beneath the parking lot. The owner, MetLife Realty, enrolled the site in the BVCP in 1997 and its consultants, NPN Environmental, performed soil investigation that determined there was no significant soil
contamination. Groundwater monitoring indicated the plume was slowly biodegrading. While the plume was not affecting any water supplies, there were relatively high levels of PCE in groundwater near the source area.
To reach closure in a timeframe that would facilitate sale of the property, MetLife (now BlackRock Realty) decided to treat the plume with injections of Hydrogen Release Compound® (HRC). HRC is one of several commercial carbohydrate products used to feed naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria, which in turn degrade chlorinated solvents, producing harmless byproducts. Once the remediation plan was approved, the property was sold to RMS Properties, a company that planned to remodel and revitalize the center, while BlackRock continued to be responsible for the cleanup.
The injection of 10,000 pounds of HRC into the plume was performed in February 2003. Contaminant levels decreased dramatically over the next two years, and the owners placed a groundwater use restriction on the property to prohibit future use of groundwater at the site. The shopping center was open during the entire process, with only occasional disruptions of a portion of its parking lot.
This project also led to the streamlining of underground injection permitting for remediation at Brownfield sites. Approval of underground injection remedial projects can now be granted by the Hazardous Waste Program’s remedial project managers. This reduces the number of department approvals required to use the latest treatments for groundwater contamination.
Dow Chemical Essex Property - Poplar Bluff
This two-acre property in an industrial park was originally owned by Essex Corp. and subsequently by Dow Chemical Company. Dow operated it as a urethane plant until an explosion shut down the plant in 2001. An oil-filled heat exchange system
overheated, causing the fire and a release of burned oil and firefighting water to the ground around the plant.
Visually contaminated soil was removed at that time, but no samples were taken to verify clean conditions. Dow did not reopen the plant, and the buildings sat vacant for several years. To ensure the property was clean prior to sale, Dow enrolled the site in the BVCP in September 2005.
At the request of the BVCP, further sampling was conducted to supplement previous investigations. The sampling included soil in the fire runoff area, as well as soil and groundwater beneath a former aboveground storage tank area used for solvents and other chemicals. All the samples met unrestricted use standards, and the department issued a Certificate of Completion for the site in March 2006. A new tenant occupies the plant.
Zehrt Printing - Kirkwood
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program issued a Certificate of Completion to Zehrt Printing, located at 1112 South Kirkwood Road, in Kirkwood for cleanup of chlorinated solvent, a volatile organic compound (VOC).
Zehrt Printing occupied the site from 1988 to 1998. The site was previously home to a dry cleaner and auto body shop. The site was accepted into the BVCP in 1999.
Site assessments revealed VOC contamination in soil and groundwater. A remedial action plan approved by the BVCP was conducted in the form of monitored natural attenuation over several years. Results indicated that reductive dechlorination was occurring successfully.
The site was evaluated using the Missouri Risk-Based Corrective Action guidance document and found to meet the criteria for unrestricted land use.
A Certificate of Completion was issued by the BVCP on April 6, 2006. The site has been developed into an Eagle Bank that is part of a commercial development known as Kirkwood Commons.
This site is the 287th site cleaned up in the BVCP since 1994.
For more information, call the Department of Natural Resources’ Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Section at 800-361-4827
or 573-526-8913.
DEPARTMENT MEETS WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO REVIEW CHANGES TO DISTRICT GRANT RULES
Changes needed as a result of new law and audit report
The Department of Natural Resources met with a group of stakeholders to continue its discussion on necessary changes to the Solid Waste Management District Grant rules.
The department has requested input from the stakeholders on necessary rule changes that govern how the Solid Waste Management Districts may spend state solid waste management funds. Changes to the district grant rule are needed to address changes made in Senate Bill 225. This bill passed during the 2005 legislative session and became effective on Aug. 28, 2005.
The workgroup met previously on March 13 and April 4, 2006. “Obtaining input from interested stakeholders is critical as the department develops proposed revisions to the existing district grant rule,” said Department of Natural Resources Director
Doyle Childers.
In addition to the law changes effective with Senate Bill 225, the stakeholder group is also taking into consideration the audit released in February by the State Auditor’s Office. Four of Missouri’s 20 solid waste districts were included in the audit on the district grant program.
The department is seeking input from the workgroup members about the procedures that will most effectively implement the recommendations included in the audit. The department’s first priority is to ensure the rule provides adequate assurance that public funds are being spent appropriately and are achieving the intended purpose.
“Revising the rule to ensure these issues are addressed comes down to a matter of using good common sense and doing the right thing with state funds to promote waste reduction and recycling in the state,” Childers said. “That’s why the General Assembly passed the law in the first place.”
EPA AWARDS $600,000 TO MISSOURI TO REVITALIZE BLIGHTED COMMUNITIES
EPA announced $600,000 in Brownfield grants for site assessment and cleanup of two Missouri communities in Region 7. Those are
- Springfield, Mo. - $200,000 assessment
- Kansas City Port Authority - $400,000 cleanup
EPA announced more than $69 million in Brownfields grants to help revitalize communities throughout the country. These funds will help turn underutilized Brownfield sites from problem properties to productive use. The funds will also provide for the assessment and cleanup of hazardous substances and petroleum.
The $69.9 million includes 184 grants totaling 36.6 million for site assessment and planning for eventual cleanup at one or more Brownfield sites, 96 grants totaling $18.3 million for cleanup activities at Brownfield sites, and 12 grants totaling $15 million to capitalize a revolving loan fund and provide sub-grants for cleanup activities at Brownfield sites.
President Bush signed the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act in January 2002. It authorizes up to $250 million in funds annually for Brownfield grants. The 2002 law expanded the definition of what is considered a Brownfield, so communities can now focus on mine-scarred lands or sites contaminated by petroleum or the manufacture and distribution of
illegal drugs.
SURVEY SHOWS BUSINESSES PLEASED WITH ASSISTANCE VISITS
Missouri Department of Natural Resources Will Use Results to Fine Tune New Program
In a recent survey of businesses conducted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, nearly 99 percent of respondents reported that they felt well served by staff from the department who visited their operations as part of initial assistance visits.
Staff from the department visited land disturbance sites, newly permitted air sources, drinking water facilities where permit actions are anticipated, limestone quarries and hazardous waste generators. The department walked permittees through their unique permit requirements and provided compliance assistance rather than conducting formal inspections.
About 82 percent of the new permit holders completed a survey. New permit holders were asked to rate the department’s assistance on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best) on how helpful the staff visits were in helping to understand the permit. The department received an overall rating of approximately 92 percent. Respondents said they found the visits to be very informative and proactive and they helped to reinforce good practices already being implemented at the facilities.
“We’re pleased Missouri’s businesses have found this program helpful,” said Doyle Childers, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “By helping facilities understand their permits, we can head off dangerous and costly environmental mistakes.”
In instances where no survey was returned, the department’s ombudsmen followed up directly with facilities, which helped ensure more responses were received. “The Department of Natural Resources will continue to survey facilities regarding their experiences with initial assistance visits and department service,” Childers said. “As concerns with communication, professionalism or training are identified, we will address each of them to improve our effectiveness.”
On this round of surveys, the department did receive feedback from at least one permit holder that its assistance would have been more helpful earlier in the process. “One respondent liked the idea of the assistance visit but would have liked more timely help,” said Chief Ombudsman Scott Totten. “In our initial round of surveys, we talked to folks who had permits issued over the previous six months. His was one of the older permits issued in that timeframe, and he was almost finished with his project before we visited him. Real-time initial assistance visits will fix that problem.”
Initial assistance visits are a new component of the department’s compliance assistance efforts, which are designed to help businesses, communities and citizens protect the environment by preventing spills, leaks and other hazards from occurring. Because the visits are not formal inspections, compliance assistance is provided with the expectation that corrections will be made if the department discovers any problems. However, the department will initiate formal enforcement actions if violations of a very serious nature are found. Very serious violations are those that are immediately or imminently harmful to human health or the environment, such as a hazardous waste release.
For more information on the department’s compliance assistance initiative, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/communications.htm.
CLEANUP BEGINS AT MISSOURI’S LARGEST REMAINING TIRE DUMP
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| Cleanup begins on Missouri’s largest remaining tire dump as tires are shredded at the site in Cass County. |
In May, cleanup began in Cass County on Missouri’s largest remaining tire dump. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources was on-site to celebrate the beginning of the cleanup by removing one of the first few tires.
“This site has been a nuisance to the local community for years. It will take the contractor about 10 months to clean up the site,” said Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Environmental Quality Director Daniel Schuette. “I’m excited to stand here today as we begin the process of removing approximately 1 million tires from
Missouri’s environment.”
Jim Robbins, a Kansas City area scrap tire hauler, began accumulating tires on the site in the 1980s. Robbins planned to cover the tires with rock from the quarry. However, the first scrap tire law was enacted in 1990 making the site an illegal tire dump and preventing him from covering the tires. In 2005, the department reached settlements with Mr. Robbins and the property owners for the cleanup of the tires.
TRI-Rinse, of St. Louis, will remove approximately 1 million tires from the site and then plans to shred them for use as a substitute for a traditional gravel leachate collection layer in a landfill. Leachate is water that has seeped through the waste in a landfill. The collection layer allows the leachate to percolate through the pore spaces and drain into pipes for collection and treatment. The rubber layer acts as a filter keeping the waste out of the leachate.
Missouri’s Scrap Tire Fee will fund the tire cleanup. Retailers collect a 50-cent-per-tire fee for every new tire purchased in Missouri. The scrap tire fee generates approximately $2.1 million annually. The department uses the fees to oversee and support scrap tire
cleanup efforts.
More than 13 million tires have been cleaned up from more than 600 illegal tire dumps in Missouri since the scrap tire program began. The department estimates that after the Cass County tire cleanup is complete there will be 500,000 tires remaining in known scrap tire sites. The department estimates that unidentified dumpsites could contain as many as 1 million additional tires.
When scrap tires are not disposed of or recycled properly, they pose serious threats to human health and the environment. Water sitting in scrap tires creates an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes, which can equal 10,000 to 1,000,000 mosquitoes per tire during a breeding season. Mosquitoes are known to carry diseases such as the West Nile virus, equine encephalitis and the St. Louis and La Crosse strains of human encephalitis.
Fires from scrap tires release hazardous substances into the air and possibly into groundwater sources and can burn for months or even years.
Recycling scrap tires properly can yield beneficial uses, including an alternate source of fuel for power plants, raw material for new tires, playground safety surfacing and other recycled rubber products.
For more information on Missouri's Scrap Tire projects, contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Solid Waste Management Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5401.
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HOSTS INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON BLACK RIVER RECOVERY EFFORTS
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| Dave Michaelson, from the department’s Environmental Services Program, captures macroinvertebrate samples with a Hess Sampler and a net to determine the water quality of the Black River following the Taum Sauk reservoir breach. |
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources held the sixth in a series of monthly informational meetings Thursday, May 25, to update the public on water quality in the Black River and recovery efforts at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park near Lesterville. The 7 p.m. meeting was at the entrance of Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, eight miles north of Lesterville on Highway N in Reynolds County.
Staff from the Department of Natural Resources and other partnering agencies provided information on water quality in the Black River and the lower Taum Sauk Reservoir. For more information about water quality in the Taum Sauk area, visit
www.dnr.mo.gov/env/taumsauk/index.html.
Representatives also discussed recovery efforts at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, which reopened at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 27, for the season. Department employees explained the interim visitor services are available in a portion of the park this summer.
Visitors will once again be able to visit the major use area of the popular state park, which was flooded by the Dec.14 breach of the nearby Taum Sauk reservoir.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to once again allow visitors to see this special park. But it will be different from the park they experienced last year, when this park celebrated its 50th anniversary,” said Doyle Childers, department director.
Following the breach, 1.3 billion gallons of water swept down Proffit Mountain into the park, sweeping away everything in its path and leaving behind piles of trees 15 feet high and silt up to 6 feet deep. Many of the facilities, including the campground, were
destroyed. Cleanup began immediately and, as of May 6, more than 14,800 truck loads of tree debris, mulch, silt, rebar/concrete and rock had been removed from the park. Roads have been repaired, and areas have been reseeded.
This summer’s experience will be focused on letting visitors see what happened at the park, interpreting its impact and explaining the recovery efforts. Interpretive panels at various locations throughout the park and a driving tour with an accompanying brochure explain the efforts. A one-half-mile interpretive trail has been developed through an area known as the boulder field because it is where many of the larger boulders from Proffit Mountain came to rest. Department of Natural Resources staff will be available to give guided tours as well.
Other day-use facilities include picnic tables, flush toilets and drinking water and the park store. There is no camping available
this year.
One thing that has not changed dramatically is the shut-ins. The boardwalk to the shut-ins was damaged, and some debris filled the shut-ins. The boardwalk has been repaired so people can once again walk to the shut-ins and view them. Until the cleanup has been completed, people will not be allowed in the shut-ins or any portion of the East Fork of the Black River through the park because of safety reasons.
The Goggins Mountain equestrian trail and trailhead were not affected by the flood and remain open to the public.
“This season’s visit to Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience because by next year, the park will have changed again,” Childers said. As cleanup continues, the long-term planning for rebuilding the park continues as well. The planning began with input through public meetings and online surveys in April and will continue throughout the summer. The goal is to have a redevelopment plan in place by early fall.
Another project that is ongoing is the restoration of the portion of the East Fork of the Black River that runs through Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. The stream above the shut-ins was significantly impacted by the flood, which filled it with sand and boulders and blocked the channel with a large rock dam. Work on the restoration will be ongoing this summer and should be completed sometime this fall. Because of the construction in progress, the stream will not be open to the public this year.
For this season, through early fall, the park will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Also available in the area are other state parks and historic sites, including Taum Sauk Mountain State Park near Ironton, Fort Davidson State Historic Site at Pilot Knob and Elephant Rocks State Park near Belleview. There are many other attractions in the Lesterville/Arcadia Valley area as well.
For more information on these other attractions, go to experienceblackriver.com. For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, go to www.mostateparks.com or call 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for
the Deaf).
The department’s Spring/Summer issue of Missouri Resources magazine includes an article and photos of the unnatural disaster. You can also find the latest information about water quality in the Taum Sauk area on the Web at
www.dnr.mo.gov/env/taumsauk/index.html.
For information about the the recovery efforts at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park visit www.mostateparks.com/jshutinsdamage.htm.
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SEEKS COMMENTS ON FORMER VICKERS FACILITY PROPOSED PERMIT MODIFICATIONS
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is inviting the public to review and offer written comments on proposed permit modifications for the former Vickers facility, until June 29.
The former Vickers facility is presently an inactive manufacturing facility located at 2800 W. 10th St. in Joplin. The proposed permit modifications address concerns raised in an appeal of the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I permit. The proposal also updates several other permit conditions.
The facility produced piston and gear hydraulic pumps, motors, hydrostatic transmissions and power steering boosters for industrial and agricultural uses from 1952 to 1987. Past activities at the facility produced spent solvents, waste oils, paint residues, metal plating wastes, corrosives, scrap metals, cyanides and spent kolene salts. The facility includes two impoundments that closed as a landfill with waste in place, and other solid waste management units.
The proposed permit modifications are available on the department’s Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/permits/notices.htm.
Supporting documents are not available on the department’s Web site due to its size. The public can review and copy the proposed permit modifications and supporting documents at the following locations:
Joplin Public Library
300 S. Main St., Joplin
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. - Monday and Thursday
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. - Sunday
or by appointment at either of the following department offices:
Southwest Regional Office
2040 W. Woodland
Springfield
Phone: 417-891-4300
Hazardous Waste Program
1738 E. Elm St. (lower level)
Jefferson City
Phone: 573-522-3345
Only the proposed modification conditions are open for public comment. All other conditions of the existing permit will remain in effect until the permit is reissued or additional modifications are proposed. Written comments on the proposed permit
modifications are effective if they point out specific legal or technical issues. Please send written comments by June 29 to
Richard A. Nussbaum
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Hazardous Waste Program
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176
During the public comment period, anyone can request a public hearing on the proposed permit modification by writing to Nussbaum at the above address. The hearing request must state what issues the public would like brought up during the hearing.
Anyone may call or write Nussbaum at any time to request to have their name placed on the facility’s mailing list. By doing this, they will receive notice from the department or facility on any major permitting and cleanup activities at the facility.
For more information, call Nussbaum at 573-751-3553 or 800-361-4827. Hearing and speech-impaired persons may reach him through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SEEK COMMENTS ON H.T.R. INC. DRAFT PERMIT
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comments on a draft hazardous waste permit for H.T.R. Inc. until June 23. The draft permit will allow the facility to continue storing fluorescent bulbs before it is processed.
H.T.R. Inc. is located at 415 Kaiser Industrial Drive in Kaiser and operates an active fluorescent bulb recycling facility. Fluorescent bulbs are now considered a universal hazardous waste.
H.T.R. Inc. was required to follow Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit requirements for storing the bulbs when federal regulations changed in 2000. H.T.R. Inc. is currently operating under temporary approval for storing the bulbs until the Department of Natural Resources issues a permit.
Written comments on the draft permit are effective if they point out legal or technical issues. The public can review the draft permit on the department’s Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/permits/notices.htm. Supporting documents are not available on the department’s Web site due to its size. The public can review and copy the draft permit and supporting documents at the
following locations:
Camden County Library
Osage Beach Branch
1064 Gutridge Lane
Osage Beach, Mo.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Monday, Wednesday through Friday
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. - Tuesday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Saturday
by appointment at either of the following department offices:
Southwest Regional Office
2040 W. Woodland
Springfield, Mo.
Phone: 417-891-4300
Hazardous Waste Program
1738 East Elm St. (lower level)
Jefferson City, Mo.
Phone: 573-522-3345
or between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday (not including federal holidays), at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7
Information Resource Center
901 North Fifth St.
Kansas City, Kan.
Phone: (913) 551-7241
The draft permit includes a Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I and an U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II.
Please send written comments on Part I to
Richard Hock
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Hazardous Waste Program
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176
Part II to:
Gayle Hubert
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7
RCRA Permitting and Compliance Branch
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
During the 45-day public comment period, anyone can request a public hearing on the draft permit by writing to Hock at the above address. The hearing request must state what issues the public would like brought up during the hearing.
Anyone may call or write Hock at any time to request to have their name placed on H.T.R. Inc.’s mailing list. By doing this, they will receive notice from the department or H.T.R. Inc. on any major permitting and cleanup activities at the facility.
For more information, call Hock at 573-751-3553 or 800-361-4827. Hearing and speech-impaired persons may reach Hock through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966. You can reach Hubert at (913) 551-7439.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS WATERSHEDS MEETINGS ARE UNDERWAY
 |
| Nearly 60 people attended the May 22 Lake of the Ozarks area watersheds meeting in Laurie. |
Nineteen federal, state and local agencies came together on May 16 and 22, 2006, to provide Lake of the Ozarks’ residents with the opportunity to learn more about forming and joining a watershed group for the lake area. The meetings included an overview of what a watershed group can accomplish and the economic and environmental importance of protecting the lake’s water quality.
Many area residents attended the meetings and 25 signed the lists and indicated their desire to form a watershed group. We are excited about this positive reception and look forward to the formation of a watershed group for
this watershed.
A follow-up organizational, planning meeting will be held on June 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Camdenton City Hall, 437 W. US Hwy. 54, Camdenton. The meeting will cover the results of the first two meetings and begin the watershed group’s planning process.
Watersheds group are located in many areas of the state. For more information about your watershed or about forming a watershed group, contact the department’s Water Protection Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1300.
DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO STATE AUDITOR’S SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT
On February 21, 2006, the State Auditor’s Office released a report of an audit performed on the department’s Solid Waste Management Program. The audit investigated the program’s management of funds and its oversight of the district grant program.
Four of these districts were included in the audit. Findings for the districts included things like inappropriate expenditures, inadequate record keeping, and disbursement of money inconsistent with the rules and regulations.
The department agreed with the findings of the report and took steps to address the issues. Funding to the four districts audited was suspended until the issues for each district were adequately addressed.
Two of the districts have already responded to the department with plans for correcting the issues raised in the report. Funding has been released to these districts. The department continues to work with the remaining two districts in order to resolve the issues.
The department has also created a District Grant Rule Revisions Workgroup to discuss possible rule updates to ensure that other districts do not have the same issues. The workgroup has met three times in Jefferson City, most recently on May 2.
The tonnage fee charged on the waste disposed of in Missouri is divided among three parties. The Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority receives eight hundred thousand dollars per year. Missouri’s 20 Solid Waste Management districts receive 61 percent of the remaining funds. These monies are to be used for waste reduction and recycling grants by the districts. The remaining 39 percent goes to the department for the operation of the Solid Waste Management Program. The tonnage fee generates about $11.5 million per year.
For more information on the State Auditor’s Report or the District Grant Program, contact Pat Muck, Solid Waste Management Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO, 65102 or by phone at 573-751-5401.
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES PROMOTES HEALTHY AIR QUALITY IN THE ST. LOUIS AND KANSAS CITY AREAS THROUGH SAFE FUEL DELIVERY PRACTICES
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources promotes safety and protection through the use of Stage I Vapor Recovery Systems at gas stations. When used correctly, these systems prevent the release of gasoline vapors into the air and potential explosions during fuel deliveries.
Stage I vapor recovery systems captures the vapors released as fuel is transferred from the delivery truck into the storage tank. Using two separate lines, the vapors are returned to the delivery truck as the fuel is transferred into the storage tank. The gasoline truck driver then transports these vapors back to the terminal for processing or destruction.
Improper use of Stage I vapor recovery systems, known as an illegal drop, will release gasoline vapors during fuel delivery increasing the danger of flash fires and explosions. Illegal drops not only can lead to life threatening fires and explosions but also can subject the driver and nearby people to the inhalation of hazardous chemicals, such as benzene and other known carcinogens found
in gasoline.
St. Louis gas stations are also required to install Stage II vapor recovery systems in order to recover vapors from the nozzle as fuel is dispensed. Stage II vapor recovery requires black boot-like nozzles be placed on gas pumps at St. Louis area stations. These nozzles capture and return the vapors from the automobile tank to the underground storage tank at the station. The vapors are held there until a truck using a Stage I recovery system refills the underground tank. Due to variations of temperatures in the storage tank, vapors often condense back to liquid.
Gasoline delivery vessels that operate in St. Louis are required to test annually to demonstrate compliance with the Stage I regulations. The department, as well as the St. Louis City’s Division of Air Pollution Control and the St. Louis County Department of Health, inspect and regulate gasoline bulk deliveries made using Stage I vapor recovery. If an improper use of the Stage I system is found, the gasoline delivery company as well as the gas station can be held responsible.
Gasoline delivery vessels that operate in Kansas City are required to test annually to demonstrate compliance with the Stage I regulations. The department, as well as the Kansas City Department of Health inspect and regulate gasoline bulk deliveries made using Stage I vapor recovery. If an improper use of the Stage I system is found, the gasoline delivery company as well as the gas station can be held responsible.
Gasoline vapors are a precursor needed for the formation of ground level ozone. Ozone is a major part of what is more commonly referred to as smog and is produced when volatile organic compounds from gasoline, car exhaust, industrial emissions and other sources mix with oxides of nitrogen from power plants and other sources. In order to form, ozone needs hot, sunny days with little or no wind.
Exposure to ground-level ozone can contribute to health problems. Those who suffer from asthma, heart disease, emphysema and other cardiopulmonary diseases could experience increased breathing difficulty. Long-term exposure to high levels of ozone can even cause healthy adults to experience breathing difficulty, especially those who exercise or work outdoors.
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES RETURNS TO CARDWELL TO CONTINUE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources returned to Cardwell during May to continue its environmental investigation. Staff collected additional soil and water samples from various properties in Cardwell.
During the department’s investigation of the Brewer Brothers site in 2004, several other potentially contaminated sites were identified. To determine to what degree these sites might be contaminated, department staff conducted site screenings in
February 2006.
Due to time constraints, the department was not able to finish its site screenings. In addition, the department decided to alter the site-screening plan after evaluating the February sample results. The department will return to previous locations to resample and run additional tests to clarify the results.
The department found petroleum contamination in the subsurface soil and groundwater near the Martin Oil Station property and the former Brewer Brothers bulk petroleum plant on the north side of Pool Street.
Under the oversight of the department, a consultant is investigating the Brewer Brothers facility at 310 Pool Street. The department has documentation of petroleum contamination at this site, which is the south side of Pool Street.
The sampling results from the February event also showed very low levels of petroleum constituents present in residential water samples at two locations. The levels detected were well below any health-based benchmarks and are not considered a concern at this time. The department resampled these residences during the May sampling event.
The Department of Natural Resources will host another public meeting sometime this summer in Cardwell to present the investigation results and explain what they mean in practical terms once sampling results are available and evaluated by the department and the Department of Health and Senior Services.
Site screenings are basic, uncomplicated investigations designed to determine if a site is contaminated and, if so, by what contaminants. The site screenings for Cardwell will determine if the department should expand investigations beyond the Brewer Brothers sites currently being investigated.
EPA REQUESTS COMMENTS ON ST. LOUIS UNION ELECTRIC CAMPBELL SUBSTATION SUPERFUND SITE
This news release is reprinted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site.
EPA Region 7 is requesting comments on an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) and EPA’s proposed response action to address contamination at the Union Electric Campbell Substation Superfund Site in St. Louis. The public comment period runs until June 13, 2006.
The EE/CA evaluated four alternatives to address contamination and eliminate direct contact to surface soils and exposed refuse at the site. EPA recommends Alternative 2 as the most appropriate approach for the site. Further details about Alternative 2 are provided below.
Site Background
The Campbell Substation covers 10.6 acres in an industrial area located at the 6500 block of Hall Street in St. Louis. A landfill operated in this area from 1955 to 1967. Union Electric Company (now known as AmerenUE) constructed the electrical substation in 1976. AmerenUE employees and contractors visit the site for limited periods to monitor and maintain substation equipment or gather equipment for off-site service repair.
In 1981, following the passage of the Compensation Environmental Response, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Union Electric Company provided EPA with information regarding possible contamination at the site. Following receipt of this information, EPA assessed the site, and in 1984 and 1987, collected groundwater and soil samples from the site to determine the extent of contamination. Sampling results documented low levels of volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) in groundwater; polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the south drainage ditch and eastern surface soils; and lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)
contamination in soils.
In 2003, Union Electric Company signed an administrative order with EPA in which the company agreed to complete an EE/CA at the site. The purpose of the EE/CA was to investigate potential hazards associated with both the original landfill and the substation and propose response actions to address the contamination.
Proposed Alternatives
Based on site conditions and risk evaluation, four alternatives were evaluated in the EE/CA. All alternatives except for the “no action” alternative included the following components:
- Placement of an approved stabilization/erosion control material, such as a geotextile liner, in areas along the offsite drainage ditch where erosion has caused exposure of landfill refuse;
- Institutional controls to restrict future residential use and to ensure notification of construction/utility workers;
- periodic monitoring of methane in monitoring wells and inside existing buildings.
Preferred Alternative
EPA is recommending implementation of Alternative 2, which includes the following components:
- The installation of a perimeter fence, which will significantly reduce exposure by limiting access to the entire site;
- Placement of a geotextile liner, rip-rap, cover soil or other approved stabilization materials along the offsite drainage ditch to control erosion;
- Establishment of institutional controls to restrict residential use at the site;
- Notification of construction/utility workers prior to site access and implementation of a health and safety plan; and
- Periodic monitoring of methane in monitoring wells and inside existing buildings.
Alternative 2 will be effective for permanent, long-term protection of public health and the environment.
Administrative Record
EPA has established an Administrative Record for the site, which includes the EE/CA and other relevant site documents, and is available for review and comment at the following locations:
St. Louis Public Library
Government Documents
1301 Olive Street
St. Louis, Missouri
EPA Region 7
Records Center
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas
The period for submitting comments on the Administrative Record will run concurrently with the comment period for the EE/CA until June 13. EPA will prepare a written response to significant comments submitted during the comment period. The written response will be included in a responsiveness summary to be included in the Administrative Record.
Additional Information
EPA encourages members of the public to review and provide comments on the EE/CA and the entire Administrative Record. EPA will select a final response action after all comments have been received and considered. Written comments must be postmarked or mailed electronically no later than June 13, 2006, and should be directed to:
Dianna Whitaker, Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 7
901 North 5th St., Kansas City, Kansas 66101
Phone: (913) 551-7003 or Toll-free 800-223-0425
Fax: (913) 551-7066 or E-mail: whitaker.dianna@epa.gov
TEACHERS CAN GET COLLEGE CREDIT FOR STREAM TEAM WORKSHOPS
An EPA grant pays food, lodging and travel expenses for these June events.
This news release is reprinted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site.
Middle school, junior high and high school teachers can earn college credit and receive hundreds of dollars worth of scientific equipment for attending a stream conservation workshop in June.
The Clean Stream Education Initiative is funded with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The training is offered to teachers from throughout Missouri. Participating teachers will learn how to integrate Stream Team information into their science, math and social studies curricula.
The training, including food, lodging, travel, educational materials and instructional supplies, is free of charge. Participants also can receive reimbursement for related travel and lodging expenses. Upon completing the training, participants will receive more than $600 worth of scientific equipment for teaching in their classrooms. The training is aimed at helping teachers create local chapters of the Missouri Stream Team, train their students to use the Stream Team Activity Guide and conduct two activities on locally adopted streams.
Four hours of graduate credit are available for the three-day course through Lindenwood College. Teachers who complete all the required program activities receive reimbursement for half the cost ($120) of the four hours of college credit.
Training will take place at Cuivre River State Park the week of June 12 through 16. For more information or to register for the workshop, visit www.mostreamteam.org/pdfs/clean_stream.pdf, or contact Steve Johnson at moriver@coin.org or 573-256-2602.
Other sponsors of the training include the Missouri departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Missouri River Communities Network and The Greenway Network Inc.
MISSOURI WOOD TREATER FINED FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE VIOLATIONS
This news release is reprinted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site.
A federal court in Missouri has ordered Timber Industries, Inc. to pay a penalty of more than $225,000 for illegal disposal of hazardous wastes at its wood treatment facility, according to the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company, which was previously cited for violating the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), was also ordered to fully comply with the terms of an expedited settlement agreement reached in 2002 to resolve the RCRA violations.
As part of the 2002 settlement, the EPA ordered Timber Industries to stop all releases of pentachlorophenol, a probable human cancer-causing substance, into the environment and to submit evidence of compliance. The company was also required to submit site evaluation and cleanup action work plans and reports. The settlement further required the company to provide evidence that the facility was registered with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as a hazardous waste generator and that all hazardous wastes stored at the facility were shipped off-site.
On Nov. 18, 2005, the Justice Department and EPA filed a complaint alleging that Timber Industries failed to comply with several terms of the agreement, specifically failure of the facility to clean up past releases of pentachlorophenol and failure to clean up new releases, which were found during a follow-up inspection.
“This action sends an important and clear message to the wood treatment industry that they must promptly and properly investigate and clean up any releases of hazardous wastes. EPA is committed to making sure companies take necessary actions to comply with environmental regulations,” said Jim Gulliford, EPA regional administrator.
The 2002 settlement resulted from an EPA inspection of the Salem facility in December 2000 as part of the EPA Region 7 Wood Treatment Initiative and Compliance Incentive Program. Inspectors found that the pentachlorophenol solution dripped onto the ground near the treatment tank and staging area. The EPA also found new evidence of illegal disposal during a re-inspection.
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;
- 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. To report a hazardous substance spill call 573-634-2436.
Train Derailment in Chariton County
At 4:38 p.m. on Friday March 24, 2006, a representative of Norfolk Southern Railroad contacted the department’s Environmental
Emergency Response (EER) section regarding a train derailment south of Keytesville, at a railroad crossing on Route K. This area is adjacent to Mussel Fork, which is a tributary of the Chariton River.
The derailment was due to a collision with a tractor-trailer that was stalled at the railroad crossing. The derailment involved two locomotives and 14 railcars carrying automobiles (six per railcar). An estimated 500 to 800 gallons of diesel fuel was lost from the saddle tanks on the two locomotives. The two train conductors were taken to Moberly Regional Hospital for minor injuries.
An EER On-Scene Coordinator from Jefferson City was dispatched to the site to provide oversight of the diesel fuel cleanup. A small amount of diesel fuel was discovered along the bank of Mussel Fork.
Norfolk Southern Railroad hired an environmental contractor to conduct the cleanup. Absorbent booms and pads, plus a containment boom were placed at the seep location. Other cleanup activities included excavated trenches to help determine the migration pathway of the released fuel and recover free product and removal of contaminated material from the spill area. An EER On-Scene Coordinator from Macon provided follow up cleanup oversight the following week.
Other agencies that responded to the incident included Keytesville Fire Department, Chariton County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Department of
Transportation Railroad Safety.
Gasoline Tanker Overturns in Jasper County
On the afternoon of April 11, 2006, the department’s Environmental Emergency Response (EER) Section was contacted by the Missouri Highway Patrol who reported a Casey’s General Stores fuel tanker truck had overturned, which was carrying up to 8,000 gallons of gasoline. The incident occurred north of Joplin, at the intersection of Highway M and U.S. 71, in Jasper County. Initial reports indicated no release from the tanker had occurred and no waterways were threatened and EER’s initial offer to respond and assist was declined by local fire officials.
However EER received additional information, through the department’s Southwest Regional Office’s EER personnel, regarding the amount and extent of a release, which conflicted with initial information. At that time, the department’s EER Duty Officer, was also advised that on-scene personnel were intending to allow the tanker to be up righted while it was full, which was counter to instructions relayed by EER earlier. Based upon the updated information, the EER Duty Officer immediately took the following steps:
- Dispatched two Southwest Regional Office’s EER On-Scene Coordinators (OSC) to the scene to provide oversight and assistance;
- Contacted Jasper County 911 Center and advised the tanker should not be uprighted before off-loading the product;
- Contacted Casey’s General Store personnel and advised the same.
Casey’s personnel agreed the tanker was not to be uprighted before being off-loaded. EER confirmed with Casey’s that a backup tanker was being dispatched from the Springfield area to off-load the overturned tanker before it is uprighted. It was unclear at the time who had approved the attempt to upright the full tanker. However it did appear that Casey’s personnel was not involved in the decision.
Environmental contractors on-scene “Hot Tapped” or drilled holes into each of the separate compartments of the tanker. Without incident the tanker was off-loaded prior to being uprighted. EER OSCs inspected the area and determined no release
occurred requiring a cleanup.
Standard safety practices require the removal of fuel from damaged tankers prior to them being moved. The department’s quick action to halt the attempt to upright the full tanker, helped to avoid a potentially dangerous action and prevent a major release to
the environment.
Visit Calendar of Events at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do for a complete list of Department of Natural Resources' events through the end of the calendar year.
LAKE OZARK PUBLIC WATERSHED FOLLOW UP MEETING JUNE 5
The Department of Natural Resources will host a public meeting to provide information to persons interested in forming a watershed group in the Lake of the Ozarks area. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m., June 5 at the Camdenton City Hall, 437 Hwy 54.
The group’s mission is to define goals and solutions that protect and improve the lake and to establish a higher understanding and consciousness of the watershed and water quality at the Lake of the Ozarks.
For more information, call Victoria Lovejoy of the department’s Southwest regional office at 417-891-4380.
DAM AND RESERVIOR SAFETY COUNCIL TO MEET JUNE 14
The Missouri Dam and Reservoir Safety Council will hold a public meeting at 10 a.m., June 14 at the Water Resources Center, 111 Fairgrounds Road in Rolla.
For more information, call the department’s Rolla office at 573-368-2175.
ELECTRONIC SCRAP STAKEHOLDERS WORKGROUP TO MEET JUNE 14
The electronic scrap (e-scrap) workgroup will hold a public meeting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 14 at the Department of Natural Resources’ Conference Center, 1738 E. Elm St., Jefferson City.
This workgroup was organized to develop an economically sustainable framework to protect our environment by properly managing state-generated e-scrap. For more information, call Heidi Rice at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3553.
MISSOURI WATER QUALITY COORDINATING COMMITTEE TO MEET JUNE 20
The Missouri Water Quality Coordinating Committee will hold a public meeting at 10 a.m., June 20 at the U.S. Geological Survey Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia.
For more information, call Darlene Schaben of the Department of Natural Resources at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-7428.
ANTIDEGRADATION IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES ADVISORY GROUP TO MEET JUNE 21
The Clean Water Forum Advisory Group on Antidegradation Implementation Procedures will hold a public meeting at 1:30 p.m., June 21 at the Lewis and Clark State Office Building, 1101 Riverside Dr., Jefferson City.
This group will assist the department in developing a procedure for implementing the antidegradation rule. The procedure should establish a clear method for identifying the level of protection (Tier 1, 2 or 3) appropriate for each classified water and for translating that decision to permits, water quality assessments and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
For more information, call the department’s Water Protection Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1300.
AIR CONSERVATION COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 29
The Missouri Air Conservation Commission will hold a public meeting at 9 a.m., at the Governor’s Office Building, 200 Madison St., Jefferson City.
For more information, call the Department of Natural Resources’ Air Pollution Control Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-4817.
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 at www.dnr.mo.gov/regs/index.html.
Air Pollution Control Program |
Control of NOX Emissions from Upwind Sources |
| Rule Number: 010-06.345 – To address large sources of nitrogen oxides that are upwind and outside the St. Louis 8-hour ozone nonattainment area that are expected to have the potential to affect the air quality in the nonattainment area. | |
| Public comment ends: July 27, 2006 |
Public hearing: July 20, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-751-4817 |
Air Pollution Control Program |
Submission of Emission Data, Emission Fees and Process Information |
Rule Number: 010-06.110 – Establishes emission fees for Missouri facilities as required annually by state statute and changes the calendar year deadline for paying fees and submitting emission inventory questionaires. |
|
Public comment ends: July 27, 2006 |
Public hearing: July 20, 2006 |
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-751-4817 |
Air Pollution Control Program |
New Source Performance Regulation |
Rule Number: 010-06.070 - Adopts by reference updates to previously adopted 40 CFR Part 60 subparts finalized between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004. |
|
Public comment ends: July 6, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 29 2006 |
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-751-4817 |
Air Pollution Control Program |
Maximum Achievable Control Technology Regulations |
Rule Number: 010-06.075 - Adopts by reference updates to previously adopted 40 CFR Part 63 subparts finalized between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004. Additionally, this amendment updates previously adopted subparts. |
|
Public comment ends: July 6, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 29, 2006 |
Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-751-4817 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Hazardous Waste Management System: General |
| Rule Number: 025-03.260 – This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 260 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Methods for Identification of Hazardous Waste |
| Rule Number: 025-04.261 – This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 261 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Standards for Generators of Hazardous Waste |
| Rule Number: 025-05.262– This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 261 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Standards for Transporters of Hazardous Waste |
| Rule Number: 025-06.263– This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 263 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Standards for Owners/Operators of Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities |
| Rule Number: 025-07.265– This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 265 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Interim Standards for Owners/Operators of Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities |
| Rule Number: 025-07.266– This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 266 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004 | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Standards for Owners/Operators of Hazardous Waste Facilities |
| Rule Number: 025-07.268– This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 268 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Hazardous Waste Permit Program |
| Rule Number: 025-07.270 - This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 270 between Juily 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004. | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Recycled Used Oil Management Standards |
| Rule Number: 025-11.279– This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 279 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004 | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
Hazardous Waste Program |
Universal Waste |
| Rule Number: 025-16.273– This amendment would add to the state regulations changes made to 40 CFR part 273 between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004 | |
| Public comment ends: June 29, 2006 |
Public hearing: June 15, 2006 |
| Missouri Register Citation: Filed, not yet published |
Department contact: 573-522-8057 |
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:
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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 Reclamation Program at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/lrp
Soil and Water Conservation Program at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swcp
Solid Waste Management Program at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp
State Parks, Division of at www.mostateparks.com
Water Protection Program - Drinking Water Branch at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp
Water Protection Program - Water Pollution Branch at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp
SUBSCRIBE ON THE WEB TO READ PROTECTING MISSOURI'S NATURAL RESOURCES NEWSLETTER ONLINE
Sign up now to receive a monthly e-mail reminder and link to the online version of Protecting Missouri’s Natural Resources newsletter. A subscription form is now available on the Web at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/pmnr/subscribe_pmnr.htm. People who subscribe will receive an e-mail containing a link to the latest issue of the newsletter.
If you subscribe to receive the online newsletter, please let us know to cancel your current hard copy subscription to save printing and mailing costs associated with the newsletter.
Contact us at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-6892 or send an e-mail to cancel your hard copy subscription to elisha.bonnot@dnr.mo.gov.
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