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Fact Sheet

July 2007

Remedial Action for Operable Unit 1, Annapolis Lead Mine Superfund Site, Annapolis, Iron County, Missouri

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7, will begin work at the Annapolis Lead Mine Site in August and continue through September 2007.  The selected remedy consists of the removal of sediment impacted by mining waste, stabilization of the stream banks, and erosion control in the historical mining area.  Contaminated sediment will be added to the existing repository for lead contaminated materials and covered with a vegetated soil cap.

The remedial work will be done in accordance with the final plans and specifications developed during the remedial design/remedial action phase.
It will also conform to the Record of Decision for Operable Unit 1.

THE CONTAMINATION

Contaminated sediment addressed by this remedial action is located within Sutton Branch Creek, which is a tributary of Big Creek and part of the St. Francis River Watershed.  Sutton Branch Creek lies close to the Annapolis lead mine. 

Lead mining occurred at the site from approximately 1919 to 1940, and over one million tons of mining waste was generated during that time.  The contaminants of concern are residual metals, particularly cadmium, lead, and zinc.

The contamination was caused by lead ore mining and processing.  The mining and processing generated chat piles and tailings, which were the sources of the contaminants of concern for this action. However, the chat piles and tailings have been contained by prior EPA cleanup activities.  Surface water bodies located downstream from the site contain elevated concentrations of site-related hazardous substances that could pose a threat to recreational fisheries and wetlands in the area.  Sampling of Big Creek has demonstrated that the impacts do not go past the confluence of Sutton Branch Creek with Big Creek.

TIME-CRITICAL REMOVAL

In September 2003, EPA proposed a Time-Critical Removal Action for the Annapolis Lead Mine Site.  The goal of the removal action was to identify, consolidate, and stabilize the lead contaminated mine waste on site.  The time-critical removal work began at the site in May 2004.  When the removal action began at the site, settling basins were constructed to manage storm water runoff.  Earth moving equipment was used to form the tailings and contaminated soil into a mound in the middle of the ravine where the pile was originally located.  All areas in the tailings pile vicinity with an average lead surface concentration greater than 1,000 parts per million (ppm) were defined and removed.

All excavated areas were backfilled with clean material.  The excavated soil was consolidated into the on-site tailings pile and the tailings pile was graded and compacted.  A protective cover was installed over the tailings.  The protective cover consists of uncontaminated clay and topsoil, allowing for the establishment of vegetative cover.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

The work to be conducted at the site this summer includes the following activities:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

EPA encourages the community to review the Administrative Record which is available at the following locations:

City Hall
204 School Street
Annapolis, Missouri

EPA Region 7
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact:

Belinda Young
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
Toll Free: (800) 223-0425
young.belinda@epa.gov

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