Newton County Mine Tailings

Site Description

The Newton County Mine Tailings site, a 160 square mile site, is located in southwest Missouri in the Tri-State Mining District. From approximately 1850 to 1950, lead, cadmium, and zinc mining were major industries in Newton County, and the site is marked by underground mine openings with exposed lead, cadmium, and zinc ores. The mines were located below the water table and during periods of operations were kept dry by pumping groundwater from the shafts. When the mines were abandoned and the pumping ceased, the water table returned to its natural levels and the groundwater mixed with abandoned underground mines and exposed ore. Further contamination occurred when piles of lead, cadmium, and zinc waste on the surface mixed with the groundwater through the numerous mine shafts throughout the county. Approximately 1,800 residential homes that rely on individual private water wells are located within the site.

Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date

• Following reports that children in counties surrounding Newton County that had similar mining histories had elevated levels of lead in their blood, EPA conducted limited sampling around the city of Granby, in 1995. More extensive groundwater and soil sampling was completed throughout Newton County in 1998 and 2000 because the upper aquifer is the sole source of drinking water for private residential wells throughout Newton County. EPA found that at least 400 residential wells were contaminated with lead or cadmium above acceptable levels. In addition to the groundwater contamination, EPA found several hundred residential properties had elevated levels of lead and cadmium in the yard soil.
• From 1999 to 2003, EPA excavated contaminated soils from approximately 300 residential properties.
• EPA has provided bottled water to approximately 350 homes where private well water was contaminated above acceptable standards.
• In the summer of 2003, EPA will complete its cost benefit analysis of various cleanup alternatives for the contaminated private water wells.
• EPA has coordinated closely with the Jasper and Newton County EPA Citizens' Task Force, a local citizens group that provides input to EPA on cleanup actions in the Jasper County and Newton County Superfund mining sites. The Task Force is supportive of the proposed actions.
• EPA currently coordinates with the Newton County Health Department to continue groundwater sampling of private water wells in the site, and provide bottled water to new residences where sampling indicates contamination.
• EPA continues to monitor the site to ensure there is no immediate threat to human health or the environment pending the start of long-term cleanup work.

Current Funding Status

• EPA has spent approximately $2 million at the site to date in cleanup of contaminated residential yard soil and provision of bottled water to homes with contaminated private wells. Likewise, the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) have spent approximately $3 million on cleanup of contaminated residential yard soil.
• EPA will provide $300,000 to initiate the public water line installation in FY 2003. The total project cost of $15 million will be incrementally funded over the next few years as funds become available.

For more information on this site, please read the Fact Sheet (PDF 41KB, 4 pages) on the Region 7 Superfund Web site.

Key Accomplishments