News Release No. 510

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL AIR POLLUTION PROTECTIONS AT DOE RUN-HERCULANEUM SMELTER

Volume 33-510

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, DEC 21, 2005 -- The Doe Run Company in Herculaneum continues to release lead into the air violating the Clean Air Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources are working with Doe Run to review and develop additional protective measures to improve the air quality.

EPA is inviting the public to review and comment on a proposal to find that the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP) for lead is substantially inadequate to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. State Implementation Plans are EPA approved plans developed by the state for the establishment, regulation and enforcement of air pollution standards.

EPA published a federal register notice Dec. 19 that begins a 30-day public comment period. The comment period ends Jan. 18. EPA will make a decision on its proposed finding after considering all public comments.

If EPA finds the state's and Doe Run's measures to be inadequate, the Department of Natural Resources will revise its SIP to correct the deficiencies. Over the last 20 years, the department has worked with Doe Run and EPA to develop and update the SIP for Doe Run's Herculaneum lead smelter.

The Department of Natural Resources has been working with Doe Run, EPA, the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Attorney General's Office, the City of Herculaneum and residents to address lead contamination in Herculanuem. Progress has been made through cleanup efforts and a Voluntary Purchase Plan. The Voluntary Purchase Plan offered homeowners living within about 3/8 mile from the smelter the opportunity for Doe Run to purchase their homes. However, much remains to be done to protect public health and the environment through attainment of the lead standard and control of recontamination.

Doe Run reached compliance with the lead standard for 10 consecutive calendar quarters until 2005. Doe Run reported exceedances of the standard in the first three calendar quarters in 2005. Doe Run has implemented all control measures, as well as all of the contingency measures, contained in the 2001 SIP. Therefore, the Department of Natural Resources will work with Doe Run to develop a new SIP for the area to bring the facility back into compliance with the lead standard.

EPA will expect several specific plan elements in order to correct the inadequacy of the SIP. These include the following: 1) a revised emissions inventory; 2) a modeling demonstration showing what reductions will be needed to bring the area back into attainment of the lead standard; 3) adoption of measures to achieve reductions determined necessary by the attainment demonstration, with enforceable schedules for implementing the measures as expeditiously as practicable; and 4) contingency measures to be installed if unexpected violations occur after the new plan is implemented.

The Doe Run-Herculaneum facility is the largest primary lead smelter in the United States and historically Missouri has been the largest producer of lead. EPA designated the city of Herculaneum as nonattainment for lead in 1991 following Amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990. Following the amendments, Missouri became subject to new State Implementation Plan requirements.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

###