Mining-related activities have occurred in and around the city of Viburnum, Missouri since approximately 1960. As a result of these mining-related activities, hazardous substances, pollutants and/or contaminants have been released into the environment in quantities sufficient to present an imminent and substantial danger to public health and welfare. The potentially responsible party (PRP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have documented high levels of lead in residential surface soils at the site.
In 2006, the PRP, conducted an assessment at residential properties which identified 222 residential properties with surface soil lead concentrations greater than 400 parts per million (ppm) which exceeds EPA's residential health-based risk standard. The PRP conducted a subsequent time-critical removal action from 2006 to 2018 and addressed 111 properties at the site. The remaining unremediated properties were to be addressed as part of a non-time-critical removal action.
In July 2020, EPA began negotiations with the PRP for a non-time-critical removal action at the site; however, the PRP declined to negotiate an order due to extenuating circumstances. Therefore, EPA reviewed all available site-related data and determined that further residential lead assessment was warranted. That assessment was completed in January 2021 and identified additional properties which met site-specific criteria for a time-critical removal action. In order to address these time-critical properties in an appropriate time frame, EPA will undertake the time-critical removal action.
EPA began the time-critical removal action on April 12, 2021 and anticipates completing the action in August or September 2021.
It is anticipated that all residential properties found to have surface soil lead concentrations ≥ 400 ppm that are not included in this time critical removal action, will be addressed by a future action by the PRP.
