Public Notice: Southwest Jefferson County Mining National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund Site, Jefferson County, Missouri
Summary
Second Five-Year Review Completed
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has completed the Second Five-Year Review (FYR) of the cleanup decision (remedy) at the Southwest Jefferson County Mining National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund Site (site) in Jefferson County, Missouri.
The site is in southeastern Missouri's Old Lead Belt (SEMO), where historic mining and smelting have caused widespread lead contamination. Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful if inhaled or swallowed and can pose serious health risks, particularly to children under 7 years old, as well as pregnant women and nursing mothers.
FYRs are required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, when hazardous substances remain on-site above levels that allow unlimited use and unrestricted exposure. FYRs provide an opportunity to evaluate the site’s cleanup decision to determine whether it remains protective of human health and the environment. This FYR was completed in June 2025.
A protectiveness determination of the remedy at Operable Units 1, 2 and 3 (OU-1, OU-2, and OU-3) (Residential Yards) cannot be made at this time until further information is obtained. EPA will gather additional information using updated EPA soil lead guidance and risk assessment methods. For residential yards needing a visual barrier at the base of excavated soils, EPA will work with local officials and landowners to develop and implement an Institutional Control Plan, as needed. EPA plans to complete a FYR Addendum by June 2027.
The remedy at OU-5 (Groundwater) is expected to be protective of human health upon completion. In the interim, remedial activities completed to date have adequately addressed all exposure pathways that might pose unacceptable risks. EPA will re-evaluate the cleanup goal for lead in domestic water wells on the site to reflect changes in the lead Action Level. The next FYR will be completed in June 2030.
Information Repository: Detailed site information, including the First and Second FYR are now available to the public at web repositories. To view project documents, please visit EPA’s Site Profile page (see Site Documents & Data).
If you do not have internet access, you can view these documents online at a local library, such as the following location:
De Soto Public Library
712 S. Main St.
De Soto, MO 63020
636-586-3858
EPA asks that residents contact EPA (contacts listed below) about testing your yard and/or private well. Call EPA’s testing/sampling contractor, Tetra Tech, at 636-757-8446; or call EPA at 913-231-0310 or 1-800-223-0425, or email at: r7-swjcmining@epa.gov. EPA also encourages parents and caregivers to have children under 7 years old tested for elevated blood lead levels annually. You can contact the Jefferson County Health Department (405 Main Street, Hillsboro, MO; 636-797-3737) for more information or other health care professionals to arrange for a simple blood test.
Contact EPA: If you have questions about the site or the FYR process, please contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Hilary Elizabeth Kramer at: kramer.elizabeth@epa.gov or 816-589-5534; or EPA Remedial Project Manager Simin Wu at: wu.simin@epa.gov or 913-231-0310.
U.S. EPA Region 7
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425