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Fact Sheet

July 2006

Proposed Plan Available for Comments, Cherokee County Superfund Site, Cherokee County, Kansas, Baxter Springs and Treece Subsites

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is releasing a Proposed Plan for an environmental cleanup in the Baxter Springs and Treece areas of the Cherokee County Superfund site. The action will be taken under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, also known as the Superfund Law.

The EPA Proposed Plan recommends a cleanup approach for addressing the remaining non-residential mine waste that impacts the Baxter Springs and Treece areas. Some of the mine waste in these areas was addressed in a prior environmental cleanup.

EPA is asking for public comments on its Proposed Plan.  The public comment period runs July 24 – August 22, 2006.  Although EPA and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) are recommending a proposed action to address the remaining surficial mine waste, a final decision will not be made until EPA reviews comments from the public. After the comment period closes, EPA will make a decision, which will be published in a document known as a Record of Decision (ROD) Amendment. The ROD Amendment will also include a summary of EPA's responses to the comments received during the public comment period.

BACKGROUND

The Cherokee County Superfund site spans 115 square miles and represents the Kansas portion of the former Tri-State Mining District. The historic mining district encompasses 2,500 square miles in southeast Kansas, Northeast Oklahoma, and southwest Missouri. Mining for lead and zinc began in Kansas in the 1870s and continued until 1970. The site was placed on the National Priorities List, an EPA list of hazardous waste sites, in 1983 and many areas have subsequently been characterized and cleaned up.

The Cherokee County site is arranged into the following seven operable units (OUs) for administrative efficiency in conducting environmental cleanups:

This Proposed Plan presents EPA's preferred alternative for the remaining mine waste at the Baxter Springs and Treece subsites. The preferred alternative includes the following:

EPA estimates that the preferred alternative will take approximately eight to ten years to carry out and will cost approximately $66 million.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

EPA will hold a public meeting to provide information and accept comments on the Proposed Plan. The public meeting will be held:

Thursday, August 10, 2006
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Baxter Springs Community Center
1101 East Avenue
Baxter Springs, Kansas

Written comments may be submitted at any time during the public comment period and mailed to the contact provided below:

Debbie Kring, OEP
U.S. EPA – Region 7
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
Toll Free: 1-800-223-0425
kring.debbie@epa.gov

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Proposed Plan and other site-related documents provide details of the nature and extent of contamination and the work that has been completed at the site.

These documents are part of the Site Administrative Record, which is available at the following locations:

Johnston Public Library
210 West 10th Street
Baxter Springs, KS

EPA – Region 7 Records Ctr.
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS

If you have questions or need additional information concerning the public meeting or the Cherokee County Superfund site, please contact:

Debbie Kring
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of External Programs
U.S. EPA – Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS  66101
Toll-Free:  1-800-223-0425
kring.debbie@epa.gov

Dave Drake
Project Manager
Superfund Division
FFSE Branch
U.S. EPA – Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS  66101
Toll-Free:  1-800-223-0425
drake.dave@epa.gov

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