Public Notice: Big River and Floodplain Cleanup, Jefferson and St. Francois Counties, Missouri
Summary
EPA July Community Meetings and Opportunity for Public Comment
Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis Plans
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 is inviting public input on two Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) plans to clean up lead and other heavy metal contamination along the Big River and its floodplain for both Jefferson and St. Francois counties.
- Overview: These counties are part of the Old Lead Belt, where lead was mined and smelted for hundreds of years in southeastern Missouri, and these activities contaminated the Big River and floodplain. To learn more about lead poisoning prevention, EPA’s EE/CA plans for the Big River, maps and more, see EPA’s July 2025 Fact Sheet on the Missouri Cleanups page.
- Public Comment Period: On Wednesday, July 16, both EE/CAs will be available online for public review on each site webpage (links below); see Site Documents & Data and Administrative Record (AR) File. Public comments will be accepted for 30 days through Aug. 17, 2025. To provide verbal comments, please attend either community meeting in July to make a statement or leave a voicemail at 816-589-5534. Please specify which site/county.
- Comments and Questions: Direct any requests, questions, and/or provide written comments to: EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Hilary Elizabeth Kramer via email: kramer.elizabeth@epa.gov; phone: 816-589-5534 or toll-free 1-800-223-0425; or mail: U.S. EPA Region 7, 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219.
Events and Verbal Comment OpportunitiesEPA will hold Community Meetings on July 22 and July 23, 2025, which will be held: | |
Tuesday, July 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. To review the EE/CA for the Big River Mine Tailings/St. Joe Minerals Corp. NPL Superfund Site (in St. Francois County), see "Big River Mine Tailings Removal EECA for OU2 – AR #67971" on the Site Profile page. | Wednesday, July 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. To review the EE/CA for the Southwest Jefferson County Mining NPL Superfund Site (in Jefferson County), see "SWJC Mining EECA Removal for OU4 – AR #67972" on the Site Profile page. |
For both events, starting at 6 p.m., EPA will be available to talk with community members in an Open House format. At 6:30 p.m., EPA will deliver a presentation about the EE/CA plans, with options for cleaning up contaminated surface water and sediment, followed by an opportunity for verbal comments.