Missouri DNR downplays risk at popular park
November 13, 2009 00:41 AM
By: Leisa Zigman
KSDK -- First, they failed to warn the public about dangerously high levels of e-coli at the Lake of the Ozarks. Then; they failed to warn swimmers about sewage pollution at Castlewood State Park. Now the I-Team is raising serious questions regarding whether those running Missouri's Department of Natural Resources are misleading the public about hazardous lead levels at one of the state's most popular parks.
St. Joe State Park is the third largest park in Missouri with more than 700,000 visitors last year. It is a paradise for many off road vehicle enthusiasts because of the wide open sand flats. But it is not sand. The swirling dust being inhaled and ingested is actually lead tailings left over from more than a century of mining.
The area is covered with an estimated 75,000,000 tons of lead tailings. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the only safe level of lead is zero but recent tests show hot zones at the park. Levels top 1,000 parts per million. The greatest concern is for children, especially those younger than seven.
Riding enthusiast Dr. John Martin of St. Louis County explains, "During a hot summer day this area is one gigantic dust cloud."
Dr. Martin loved riding ATV's with his son, Alex. He knew there was lead but figured it was safe because the state's website says it is.
Dr. Martin said, "There are warnings about lead based paint. When you remove lead from a house you seal everything up and vacuum particles from the air. Down there everybody is exposed to it, even the youngest kids."
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