This Removal Action is administratively within Operable Unit (OU) 4 of the Oronogo-Duenweg Mining Belt Site, within Jasper and Newton Counties, Missouri, and concerns contamination from historic mining operations in the area.
EPA signed a Record of Decision (ROD) in 1998 for remedial action for impacted private domestic drinking water wells. Actions ceased in 2007 after identified contaminated private domestic drinking water wells were addressed. During remedial assessment and county health department activities performed in 2022-2023, additional properties were identified with impacted private domestic drinking water wells. The Lead Mining and Special Emphasis Branch referred these properties to the Assessment, Emergency Response and Removal Branch (AERR) for action.
This removal action will initially include
the distribution of bottled water to properties with private domestic drinking
water wells contaminated with lead and/or cadmium. This will continue until filtration
units can be installed at these properties or another entity assumes responsibility for the response
action. This Removal Action will apply to the currently known contaminated
properties and may include additional properties identified through continued
assessment work.
For properties where filtration units are
installed, subsequent confirmation sampling will be performed to ensure systems
are operating effectively.
