EPA Press Office:

EPA Region 7 to Host Open House for Cherokee County Superfund Site in Historic Tri-State Mining District

EPA officials will present site updates and information about the new residential soil lead guidance to the community on Oct. 28

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 - 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

Contact Information: Kellen Ashford, ashford.kellen@epa.gov, 816-610-2132

LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 22, 2024) – Representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 will host an open house in Baxter Springs, Kansas, to provide Cherokee County community members with site cleanup updates regarding the Cherokee County Superfund Site and information about EPA’s residential soil lead guidance.

The updated residential soil lead guidance, released in January 2024, lowered the screening level at residential properties from 400 parts per million (ppm) to 200 ppm. Screening levels are not cleanup levels, rather they are used when initially investigating a release to determine if the level of contamination warrants further investigation. Updating the screening levels ensures that EPA uses the latest and best available science to protect children living and playing near sites contaminated by lead in soil.

EPA’s open house in Cherokee County, Kansas, takes place during EPA’s observance of Children’s Health Month. During the last month, EPA Region 7 has held several open houses focused on the new residential soil lead guidance and lead health education in Missouri’s Old Lead Belt and Jasper County, Missouri, which is also a part of the Tri-State Mining District.

The Cherokee County Health Department will be available to provide free blood lead testing for eligible children and adults at the event.

EPA’s community meeting will be held:

Monday, Oct. 28, 2024

Open House: 6 to 8 p.m.

• Presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.

New Community Building

1101 East Avenue

Baxter Springs, Kansas

Background

The Cherokee County Superfund Site is a former mining area in southeast Kansas, part of the larger regional mining area known as the Tri-State Mining District. It covers about 115 square miles. Over 100 years of widespread lead and zinc mining from the mid-1800s to 1970 created piles of mine tailings covering more than 4,000 acres. The primary contaminants of concern at the site are lead, zinc, and cadmium.

Site-wide, nearly 3 million cubic yards of mining wastes have been remediated on over 2,800 acres; over 800 residential yards have been remediated; and over 500 homes have been supplied with a clean, permanent source of drinking water.

• Visit the Site Profile page for the Cherokee County Superfund Site.

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