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Natural Resources Damage AssessmentMissouri Portion of the Tri-State Mining District
Miners at an Eagle Picher Mining and Smelting Company mine in Missouri. The Missouri Field Office manages two very large mining sites the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District and Tri-State Mining District that encompass multiple Superfund sites, thousands of acres of impacted land, and hundreds of miles of contaminated streams. The two mining districts make up the number one historic lead and zinc production areas in the nation, respectively. Managing these cases requires extensive coordination and collaboration with state partners, Department of the Interior Office of the Solicitor, U.S. EPA and the Department of Justice.
Request for ProposalsThe Springfield Plateau Regional Restoration Plan has now been finalized and published in the Federal Register. This is a document written by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to guide the process of restoring natural resources injured by the release of hazardous substances. With the Springfield Plateau Regional Restoration Plan finalized, we are now able to advertise the first Request For Proposals (RFP) for restoration projects within the Tri-State Mining District. The first funds ($235,000) to be disbursed are related to injuries to migratory birds and endangered species resulting from Eagle Picher’s mining and smelting activities around Joplin, Missouri. Priority will be given to projects that improve or protect riparian migratory bird habitat.The deadline for applications is 5:00pm CST on September 21st , 2012.
Springfield Plateau Regional Restoration PlanThe Restoration Plan describes and explains options for restoring natural resources that were harmed by mining operations in the Springfield Plateau of southwest Missouri.
FINAL - Springfield Plateau Regional Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment
DRAFT - Springfield Plateau Regional Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment
HistoryCommercial mining began about 1848 in Newton County, Missouri and moved westward into Kansas and southward into Oklahoma. Commercial smelters were used in all three states. At first, lead was of primary interest; however, the ore was rich in zinc deposits and zinc production became increasingly important over time.
The Tri-State Mining District (Tri-State) spans portions of the states of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. The Missouri portion includes Barry, Christian, Greene, Lawrence, Jasper, and Newton Counties.
Tri-State is the fourth largest historic producer of lead and the number one historic producer of zinc within the United States.
As a result of these mining and related activities, large amounts of metals, inlcuding cadmium, lead, and zinc, were released released into Missouri's environment, and these metals continue to be released. Cadmium, lead, zinc, and other metals associated with mining are potentially toxic to a wide variety of plants and animals.
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) are Trustees for natural resources in the Missouri portion of the Tri-State Mining District. Natural resources over which MDNR and DOI exercise trusteeship include surface waters (rivers, lakes, streams, etc.), ground water, soils, air, plants, and animals.
As Trustees, the State of Missouri and DOI serve as stewards for these resources and have the authority to assess whether the resources and their services have been injured as a result of release(s) of hazardous substances. Injuries to natural resources can occur if the resources are exposed to concentrations of hazardous substances that are high enough to cause specific adverse effects. For example, injuries can occur if lead and/or zinc concentrations in surface waters are so high that relevant water quality criteria are exceeded. Plants and animals are injured if they die, cannot reproduce normally, become sick or are otherwise negatively affected as defined under relevant laws and regulations.
The process through which the Trustees evaluate injuries to natural resources associated with the release(s) of hazardous substances and determine appropriate compensation for those injuries is called natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR). DOI promulgated and published NRDAR regulations in the Federal Register (43 CFR Part 11.). These regulations provide procedures by which trustees can identify natural resource injuries, quantify those injuries, determine appropriate compensation (damages) for the injured resources and the services they provide, and restore those injured resources. The NRDAR process includes a number of different steps, specifically:
DOI and the State of Missouri have begun a NRDAR for portions of Tri-State. The Trustees have completed the pre-assessment phase for both the Jasper County and the Newton County Mine Tailings Superfund Site. In the PASs, in accordance with applicable regulations, the Trustees concluded that further investigation and assessment of natural resource injury and damages was warranted at the Sites described above. 43 C.F.R §§11.24 and 11.25.
In addition to this website, you can learn more about the Tri-State NRDA by visiting the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/sfund/nrda.htm
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Contacts and ReportsDuring the NRDAR process, the Trustees create a number of key documents which are released to the public for review and comment. If you have any questions concerning information found in any of these reports or any other comments related to the Tri-State NRDA, contact us by email.
Contacts
Reports and Study PlansTri-State Transition Zone Assessment Study (March 2013) 53-page PDF
Notices of Intent to Conduct Assessments
Preassessment Screens
Study Plans
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