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NPL Site Narrative for Missouri Electric Works
MISSOURI ELECTRIC WORKS
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Federal Register Notice: February 21, 1990Conditions at proposal (June 24, 1988): Missouri Electric Works has sold and serviced electric motors and transformers on a 6.4-acre site near the southeastern edge of the City of Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, since 1953. It is in a light industrial/commercial area on Missouri Highway 61 within 1 mile of prime agricultural land.
An inspection by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) during October 1984 found that drums of transformer waste oils contaminated with PCBs were leaking. In November 1985, EPA analyses indicated that a PCB (Aroclor 1260) was present in soils at concentrations as high as 58,000 parts per million. Soil contamination is widespread and occurs to a depth of at least 5 feet.
Soils in the area are relatively permeable, the bedrock is highly fractured, and ground water is shallow (20 feet in some cases). These conditions facilitate movement of contaminants into ground water. An estimated 34,000 people obtain drinking water from a Cape Girardeau well within 3 miles of the site.
The site is approximately 1.75 miles west of the Mississippi River. It is located on a leveled hilltop, with the majority of the site sloping slightly to the south into a run-off channel eventually draining to Cape La Croix Creek. The far southeast corner drops off rapidly into a drainage ditch also leading to the creek, which is used for recreational activities.
Wipe samples EPA collected in January 1987 indicated that Aroclor 1260 was in the air on and off the site in places where contaminants could only have been deposited by windblown particulates from Missouri Electric Works. An estimated 37,800 people live within 4 miles of the site.
Status (February 21, 1990): A steering committee consisting of approximately 120 parties potentially responsible for wastes associated with the site has been organized. It has agreed to perform a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action. The RI field work has been completed and analyses are ongoing. The RI report was expected during January 1990 and the FS report during April 1990.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.