Joplin officials warn residents of possible high lead levels in soil in tornado-affected area

(From the City of Joplin)

With Joplin’s history of lead and zinc mining, many areas of Jasper County, including the parts of Joplin and Duquesne affected by the devastating EF-5 tornado that struck on May 22, 2011, have or may have mine waste contaminants, such as lead and cadmium, present in the soil.

Mine waste contaminants containing lead pose a primary concern because of the health effects on young children when exposed to this metal. Cadmium exposure in this situation also can be a concern, especially when long-term exposure occurs.

In the 1990’s, the Environmental Protection Agency conducted soil testing throughout Jasper County. As a result of the soil tests by the EPA indicating high levels of mine waste contaminants on properties in certain sections of the County, Jasper County and the City adopted ordinances designating mine waste areas and a “smelter zone” in those areas where the soil contained unacceptable levels of lead and cadmium. The “smelter zone” area was determined by soil test results with unacceptable contaminant levels until the EPA reached areas with soil test results showing acceptable readings.

Currently, these ordinances require soil lead testing in these known areas designated by the EPA, which are generally located in the northwest and western sections of Joplin. The ordinances require yards in the smelter zone and mine waste areas to be tested when applying for a building permit. The maps for “known” Mining Waste and Smelter Areas and for Historic Mined Areas are available on the Jasper County website at www.health.jaspercounty.org.

While most of the tornado-affected area is outside the mine waste areas and “smelter zone”, it is possible that yards which were previously below acceptable levels, based on lead exposure levels, could now be above acceptable levels after the tornado cleanup is complete, due to the circumstances caused by the storm.

This may have occurred because the properties in the tornado-damaged areas were already developed prior to the EPA’s identification of mining areas and the presence of any waste material was covered by soil for yards to be established. The contamination may also have occurred because mine waste material was used for fill underneath driveways, sidewalks, or crawl spaces when the homes in the storm affected area were built. Since those structures were destroyed in the tornado-affected area, the different materials may now be exposed in the soil that has been disrupted by the tornado.

Please be aware of the presence of potential contaminants in the storm affected area. It’s important to watch for evidence of these possible contaminants, which may include but are not limited to:

·Excessive paint chips present in the soil;

·Presence of “chat” where concrete structures were removed; and,

·Unnatural soil formations similar to mine waste or “chat” that become visible during excavation.

If these types of waste are noticed, care must be taken to properly address the issue.

After the devastating tornado that struck our community, the City of Joplin developed a “Mine Your Own Property” fact sheet addressing the possibility of high lead and cadmium levels in soil in the tornado-affected area. The fact sheet is attached to each building permit issued.

As property owners in the storm affected area have started to rebuild and have requested soil lead tests from Jasper County, test results in the affected area are becoming available. To date, 44 properties have been tested in the tornado area, with 19 properties testing above the acceptable yard average level of 400 parts per million.

Due to the test results in the tornado-affected area, the City is urging residents to test their soil when they start to rebuild. Yards should be tested as property owners begin to rebuild, since excavation during construction disturbs the soil.

“With Joplin’s past mining activities and the chat used underneath homes during construction, we are aware of the possibility of finding high lead levels in the soil that has been disturbed by the tornado,” said Health Director Dan Pekarek. “At this time, we are strongly encouraging our residents to obtain a free soil lead test as they rebuild their homes in the storm affected area.”

Homeowners can contact the Jasper County Health Department for free soil testing. If contamination is found, the inspector will work with the property owner to establish a remediation plan. Remediation typically includes either removing the contaminant and hauling it to an approved site for disposal, or capping the contaminant in place with an effective barrier such as contaminant free soil, mulch, concrete driveway, etc. For questions or to schedule testing please call (417) 358-0475 or 877-879-9131 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The City has requested assistance to remediate yards with unacceptable lead and cadmium levels from our federal and state partners to help our residents address this issue as our community begins the rebuilding process. We are also aggressively working on grants to help remediate contaminated yards according to an approved remediation plan developed by the Jasper County Health Department. As any remediation aid becomes available, the City will pass this information on to property owners.

As the soil test results from the EDR (Expedited Debris Removal) area have become available, the City Council will be considering a change to the current ordinance at the October 17th Council meeting to require soil lead testing in the EDR area, in addition to the current mine waste areas and the “smelter zone” for the safety of our residents. More information will be released as this issue is further defined.