The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with Missouri Mining Investments, LLC, to perform a removal action at Operable Unit 2 of the Madison County Mines Superfund Site in Madison County, Miss.
According to an EPA release, Operable Unit 2 consists of the Anschutz Subsite, also known as the Madison Mine. The Madison County Mine Site is contaminated by lead and heavy metals at levels exceeding EPA screening level criteria. According to the EPA, mining operations at the site ceased in the early 1960s.
Missouri Mining Investments plans to begin cobalt mining at the mine upon completion of the cleanup. Under EPA oversight, Missouri Mining Investments will conduct supplemental characterization work, prior to developing a detailed plan to consolidate and cover mine waste and contaminated soil at the site, and remove contaminated sediments from the Metallurgical Pond and other surface water ponds and streams within the property boundary.
The EPA finalized the order on Feb. 28, 2019. Within 30 days of that date, Missouri Mining Investments must begin implementing the Supplemental Investigation Work Plan and submit a draft report within six months of the date of the order, according to the EPA.
EPA placed the Madison County Mines Superfund Site on the National Priorities List in 2003, making the site eligible for cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Since EPA placed the site on the NPL, more than 626,000 cubic yards of soil at more than 1,900 residential properties have been cleaned up, in addition to 87 acres of mine waste. According to the EPA, significant reductions in the frequency of children tested demonstrating elevated blood-lead levels have also been achieved over that time.