The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for public review and comment on the addendum to the Cherokee County, Kansas; Jasper and Newton Counties, Missouri; and Tar Creek, Oklahoma, Natural Resource Damages Assessment Plans to evaluate injury to freshwater mussels by metals in the Tri-State Mining District. This amendment provides information on the sampling and analysis planned by three Service field offices involved in developing Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration claims in the mining district.
The three sites were mined extensively for lead and zinc for more than a century. As a result of mining and mining-related activities, large amounts of metals were released into the environment in the district. The main metals of concern: lead, cadmium, and zinc, are potentially toxic to a wide variety of organisms, including birds, mammals, fish, mussels, and other wildlife.
The addendum can be downloaded from http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/oklahoma/nrdar.htm or http://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/NRDA/MoTriState/index.html
Comments are accepted through May 31, 2016.
Written comments may be sent to:
Missouri Ecological Services Field Office
Attn: Tar Creek NRDAR case manager
9014 E. 21st Street
Tulsa, OK 74129
Or via email at:
TSMDmusselstudy@fws.gov
