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Chicago Heights/Missouri Metals Facility, St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri – Fact Sheet, July 2022

Public Comment Period for Proposed Remedy and Public Availability Session

Background

The Chicago Heights/Missouri Metals facility involves a contaminated groundwater plume located in an unincorporated area of north St. Louis County, Missouri.

At some time before 1988, an unknown quantity of the industrial chemicals tetrachlorethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) was released at the Missouri Metals facility located at 9970 Page Avenue, just northwest of the Chicago Heights neighborhood.

This contamination traveled through the soil and into the groundwater. TCE and other contaminants have been detected in groundwater and as vapor in soil in certain locations of the neighborhood, and TCE vapors have been detected at levels of concern in several homes. Vapor mitigation systems have already been installed in most of the residences west of Dielman Road to prevent entry of contaminant vapors that may otherwise build up in the homes.

In November 2012, EPA reached a settlement with PerkinElmer, the current owner of 9970 Page Avenue where the Missouri Metals facility is located. This settlement, in the form of an Administrative Settlement and Order on Consent, requires PerkinElmer to address the contamination emanating from their property.

Since that time, PerkinElmer has investigated the extent of the contamination at 9970 Page Avenue and in the Chicago Heights neighborhood by installing wells to test groundwater, collecting soil samples, and sampling indoor air in buildings. EPA provided oversight of the sampling and PerkinElmer’s reports on their findings.

In early 2022, PerkinElmer provided EPA a study that evaluated several different types of technologies that could be used to clean up contaminated soil and groundwater at 9970 Page Avenue and in the Chicago Heights neighborhood. EPA has analyzed these technology alternatives for their ability to clean up the contamination, protect public health, and provide a reliable, long-term solution to the problem.

Proposed Remedy

EPA is proposing a remedy that includes the following technologies:

  • Excavate contaminated soil in two areas where PCE and TCE were spilled. One of these areas is at 9970 Page Avenue, and the other is just to the east on an adjacent parcel. These excavations would be refilled with a mix of clean soil and a chemical amendment that will help break down contamination in the surrounding groundwater.
  • Treat the groundwater plume using monitored natural attenuation (MNA), which uses naturally occuring microbes in the soil and water to break down PCE and TCE over time. Testing over the past several years has shown that MNA is already occurring.
  • Continue operation and maintenance of the vapor mitigation systems installed in the residences to the west of Dielman Road.
  • Long-term monitoring of groundwater contamination to evaluate the progress and effectiveness of the remedy.
  • Land use controls on the 9970 Page Avenue property, including preventing future residential use, preventing use of groundwater, and minimizing disturbance of residual contaminated soil.

Public Comment Period

EPA is requesting public comment on its Proposed Remedy for the Chicago Heights/Missouri Metals facility. The 45-day public comment period begins July 25, 2022, and ends Sept. 8, 2022. Written comments should be submitted to:

Dan Gravatt
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 7 (LCRD/ROAG/RDIS)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
Email: gravatt.dan@epa.gov

EPA has established an Administrative Record (AR) that contains the documents it evaluated before proposing this remedy, including investigation reports and the study that evaluated the cleanup technologies. The AR also contains other site-related documents and is available for review at the following locations:

St. Louis County Library 
Rock Road Branch

10267 St. Charles Rock Rd.
St. Ann, MO 63074
314-994-3300

St. Louis County Library
Mid-County Branch

7821 Maryland Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63105
314-994-3300

St. Louis County Library
Parkview Branch

8400 Delport Drive
St. Louis, MO 63114
314-994-3300

EPA Region 7 Records Center
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
1-800-223-0425

The AR is also available on EPA’s website. See the related Public Notice.

Public Availability Session

EPA will hold a virtual Public Availability Session to provide more information, answer questions, and receive comments on the Proposed Remedy for the Chicago Heights/Missouri Metals facility. This session will be held Aug. 8, 2022, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Visit the Zoom website to register for the session. Once registered, you can join via computer or phone.

EPA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. For reasonable accommodations at the Public Availability Session, please contact Euleashia Embry at embry.euleashia@epa.gov or toll-free at 1-800-223-0425.

The session will start promptly at 7 p.m.

Additional Information

For more information, please contact:

Amelia Holcomb
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7 (ORA/OPA)
11201 Renner Blvd.
Lenexa, KS 66219
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
Email: holcomb.amelia@epa.gov

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Last updated on May 19, 2025
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