St. Louis Scrap Metal Facility Reaches $750,000 Cleanup Settlement: Lead Contamination Must Be Cleared Within a Year
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced on October 21 a $750,000 settlement with St. Louis scrap metal recycler METCO over lead contamination: the company must clear lead from site and surrounding soils within a year, including removing contaminated soil across at least 150 feet, clearing metal debris, and testing and remediating nearby residential areas.
Founded in 1932, METCO recycles metal, rail equipment and industrial components near downtown St. Louis. According to the department, historical operations left lead levels in the soil of the site and nearby neighborhoods above safety standards, posing a potential health risk to residents.
The settlement requires METCO to file regular progress reports under state oversight. Lead exposure is especially damaging to children's nervous systems, and St. Louis has long grappled with lead contamination from former industrial sites and aging housing paint; the state says it will keep pushing remediation of contaminated sites. (GSM, from Missouri Department of Natural Resources and EIN News reporting)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：圣路易斯大拱门与市中心天际线。作者 Justin Barrie，CC BY 2.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: The Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis. By Justin Barrie, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
