Environmental Law Blog

Last Tuesday, the St. Louis Business Journal announced that the Doe Run Co. recently completed the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for its Herculaneum lead smelter. The SIP was designed to improve air quality and meet the National Air Quality Standard for lead on an ongoing, consistent basis. As we discussed earlier, SIPs are state plans designed to meet federal ambient air quality standards by air quality region.

Jefferson County, where Herculaneum is located, is one of two counties nationwide classified as a non-attainment area for lead. The other county is located in Montana. For a map of the various attainment classifications across the country for all criteria pollutants, check out the EPA's online Green Book.

Lead mining and smeltering is an important economic industry in Missouri. However, lead can cause serious neurological problems in children and can even interfere with growth, lessen intelligence, harm hearing, and affect behavior, possibly making the child more excitable and less able to concentrate. In addition, lead can adversely affect reproduction in men and women and can cause kidney problems, high blood pressure, and memory and concentration problems. Renewed efforts to meet SIP requirements definitely bode well for Missouri in our quest to reach attainment classification, improve public health, and protect the environment.

But, do you think it will be enough? What else should Missouri do to ensure that Jefferson County is eventually classified as attainment for lead?