EPA Seeks Input on Jefferson County Lead Contamination
July 12, 2023 8:59AM CDT
Photo courtesy of Hal Neisler.
(FESTUS) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 will be accepting public comments until July 20th regarding its proposals on how to deal with lead contamination in drinking water wells in Jefferson County.
The EPA held a public meeting at the Festus School District Performing Arts Center Tuesday night. The meeting was attended by fewer than 20 people and only three made public comment.
According to statistics provided by the EPA, it’s determined there are 147 wells in Jefferson County exceeding the Lead Action Level and the EPA believes there could be as many as 423 wells in that category. 53 residential properties are currently using EPA-provided bottle water.
Jefferson County District 4 Councilman and Chairman of the County Council, Charles Groeteke was the lone elected official to attend the meeting. He says he will take information back to his council colleagues.
Groeteke says he has been following the contamination issue on the west side of the county since he has been in office.
Steven Sturgess was the main presenter for the EPA. He says the EPA will tighten up its proposal after all of the public comment is received.
Sturgess says the EPA will continue to work with the Jefferson County Health Department in outreach programs.
The Jefferson County Health Department had staff at the meeting to man an information table and in another location of the building, the agency offered free lead testing for individuals. For more information on the EPA’s plans to address the lead from groundwater in private and domestic drinking water wells across Jefferson County, please go on line to epa.gov/superfund/southwestjeffersoncountymining
