REMEDIATION AND RESTORATION
The Attorney General’s Office works with the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to restore abandoned properties all over the state that have been contaminated by industrial or mining activity. These sites may date back to activity more than a century ago or be the result of a company going bankrupt.
These cleanups are usually pursued under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Where possible, the state and federal government track down responsible parties and make them pay for the cleanup. For example, the state and federal government reached an agreement with responsible parties for a $1.4 million cleanup in 2013 and a $7 million cleanup in 2014 of two lead mining and processing sites in Southeast Missouri.