News Release No. 497

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES EMERGENCY HAZARDOUS WASTE PERMIT TO DOE RUN'S VIBURNUM FACILITY

Volume 33-497

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, DEC. 7, 2005 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources issued an emergency hazardous waste management facility permit to The Doe Run Company -- Viburnum Mine/Mill Facility #28, Casteel Dr., Viburnum until Feb. 1. The department previously issued a permit to Doe Run on Aug. 12. The permit allows for an extension of the effective dates of the permit with verbal approval by the department.

The Doe Run Company Viburnum Mine/Mill Facility is closed and substantially inactive. The emergency hazardous waste permit allows Doe Run to store lead-contaminated soil from the Viburnum Trend Lead Haul Roads site at the Viburnum facility. The Viburnum Trend Lead Haul Roads site includes sections of highways located within Dent, Iron and Reynolds counties.

Trucks use the highways to haul lead ore concentrate between the various lead mines, mills and smelters in and around the Viburnum trend. The department investigated the highways to determine whether lead ore concentrate blown out of the haul trucks had deposited along the haul routes and caused significant soil contamination. Sampling detected high lead concentrations throughout the entire site along the highway right-of-ways and several private properties.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) negotiated an administrative order for a time-critical removal of lead-impacted soils at the Viburnum Trend Lead Haul Roads site to four mining and metals companies who formerly operated in the area. Emergency storage was allowed at the Viburnum facility while EPA prepared a remedial action plan (RAP) to allow Doe Run to permanently treat and dispose of the soil. The purpose of the emergency permit was to allow Doe Run to store the soil at the Viburnum facility until EPA approved the RAP. EPA has not yet completed the process of preparing the RAP, but anticipates doing so in the near future. Therefore, the circumstances required an extension of the effective dates of the August permit.

The emergency permit is available on the department's Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/permits/notices.htm. Supporting documents are not available on the department's Web site due to its size. The public can review and copy the emergency permit and supporting documents at the following locations:

Ozark Regional Library - Viburnum Branch
Missouri Ave.
Viburnum, MO
Hours: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.---Monday and Wednesday
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.---Thursday
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.---Saturday

or by appointment at either of the following department offices:

Southeast Regional Office
2155 North Westwood Blvd.
Poplar Bluff, MO
Phone: 573-840-9750

Hazardous Waste Program
1738 East Elm Street (lower level)
Jefferson City, MO
Phone: 573-522-3345

Anyone affected by this decision can appeal to have the matter heard. The appeal must be requested by Dec. 30. The person requesting the appeal must file a written petition, according to the procedures outlined in Section 621.250, RSMo, with the Administrative Hearing Commission, P.O. Box 1557, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The department also asks those filing an appeal to copy the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Attn: Robert Geller, Hazardous Waste Program Director, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176.

For more information, please contact Brian McCurren at the department address listed above or by calling 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3553. Hearing and speech-impaired persons may reach McCurren through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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