Viburnum Trend Lead Haul Roads – City of Viburnum Operable Unit 2 Superfund Site; Crawford, Iron and Washington Counties, Missouri – Fact Sheet, April 2022

Site Update

Residential Lead Testing and Cleanup Actions

Site Update

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 sampled for lead contamination at 131 residential properties in the city of Viburnum, Missouri, at the Viburnum Trend Lead Haul Roads – City of Viburnum Operable Unit 2 (OU2) Superfund Site (site). Of those 131 residential properties sampled (tested) for lead contamination, 88 qualified for lead cleanup (remediation). In September 2021, under a Time-Critical Removal Action, EPA completed cleanups of 30 lead-contaminated residential properties in Viburnum, including child high-use areas (such as churches, schools, and residential yards).

In December 2021, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) to Doe Run Resources Corporation (Doe Run) to conduct a Non-Time-Critical Removal Action for lead cleanup at 58 remaining residential properties in Viburnum. Doe Run is the Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) for this site. EPA will oversee Doe Run’s lead cleanups under the UAO. The UAO requires Doe Run to complete cleanups at 29 properties by December 2023 and the remaining 29 properties by December 2024.

Lead Cleanup Work in Viburnum

Throughout 2022, Doe Run will complete the needed planning to clean up 58 residential properties and child high-use areas. Doe Run will seek permission to sample and/or remediate residential areas by asking property owners to fill out an Access Agreement. EPA encourages landowners to give permission (access) for Doe Run to sample and clean up lead contamination. The sampling and cleanup work will be conducted at no cost to the property owner. If your residential property qualifies for a lead cleanup, Doe Run may contact you to discuss the sampling results and proposed cleanup activities for your property. Remediation would include the excavation, treatment, and disposal of lead-contaminated soil. Next, the excavated area would be backfilled to its original grade with clean topsoil or gravel and the lawn would be restored.

About Lead and Public Health

Lead is the main contaminant of concern at this site. It 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, who should also avoid exposure to protect their children. Lead is classified by EPA as a probable human carcinogen and is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems. Lead is dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Lead exposure can cause a range of adverse health effects, including behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, and seizures, putting young children at the greatest risk because their brains and nervous systems are still developing.

Annual Blood Lead Testing

The only way to know if your child has an elevated blood lead level is to have his or her blood tested. Talk to your pediatrician, general physician, or local health department about testing your child. For more information on blood testing for children, you can contact: Iron County Health Department, 606 W. Russell St., Ironton, MO 63650; phone: 573-546-7121

Site Background

Lead was likely distributed throughout Viburnum during decades of mining, milling, and transporting of lead ores and concentrates. The site is located in northwestern Iron County, with smaller portions within Crawford and Washington counties, in southeastern Missouri. It is part of what is commonly known as the New Lead Belt Mining District, or Viburnum Trend, where lead production began around 1960.

image of Viburnum FS site map — **VIBURNUM SITE MAP**

Doe Run – Viburnum Division (formerly St. Joe Minerals Corp. – Viburnum) is located in and near the city of Viburnum. The Viburnum Division includes four mines where ore was brought to the surface. (See site map at right.) During construction, development, and early operation of these mines, it was not uncommon for lead-contaminated materials, such as tailings and/or “poor rock,” to be used for construction materials in building the city of Viburnum, which was done by the St. Joe Minerals Corp. to support mining operations. As a result of mining-related activities that have occurred in and around the city, lead and lead compounds have been released into the environment in quantities that present public health and welfare risks. Lead contamination in surface soils necessitated removal actions to protect human health and the environment.

EPA cleaned up residential properties with lead concentrations in soils that exceeded 1,200 parts per million (ppm), and properties where concentrations in soils were less than 1,200 ppm but greater than 400 ppm with a sensitive population present, such as children under 7 years old. In 2020, EPA Region 7 held a public comment period for an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) about additional residential lead cleanups at the site. No public comments were received, and the proposed EE/CA was finalized. Doe Run’s cleanup from 2022 to 2024 will include the remaining 58 properties with lead concentrations greater than 400 ppm in soils.

Administrative Record (AR) Available

Site project information is available to the public at web repositories. Document collections were developed by EPA to form a clear understanding of the decision to take actions at the site. The AR is the official site file that contains technical documents regarding response actions at this site. To view cleanup documents, including the AR for the Non-Time-Critical Removal Action, please visit EPA's website (see ARs, Collection ID 66263). If you don’t have internet access, you can view these documents online at this location:

Ozark Regional Library
Viburnum Branch
City Hall
Missouri Ave.
Viburnum, MO 65566
Phone: 573-244-5986
Hours: Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Additional site information about the Non-Time-Critical Action is available online.
More information about the Time-Critical Removal Action (completed in 2021) is also available online.

Additional Information on Lead

EPA Contact Information

EPA encourages community members to ask questions and report any concerns about this site. Questions, comments, or requests for site information can be submitted to:

Elizabeth Kramer
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7 (ORA/OPA)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Kirk Mammoliti
On-Scene Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7 (SEMD/AERR/RREP)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Phone: 913-551-7902
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425
Email: [email protected]