News Releases

News Releases from Region 07

Weldon Spring Site in St. Charles, Missouri, Selected for National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award

05/04/2020

Contact Information:

913-551-7364

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., May 4, 2020) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winners of the third annual National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse awards. In EPA Region 7, EPA selected the Weldon Spring Site, located in St. Charles, Missouri, for one of three awards given nationally. These awards recognize the innovative thinking and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners, and developers that have led to noteworthy restoration and reuse of federal facility sites.

“For the past three years, we’ve shown how federal facility Superfund sites can be transformed into community assets,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “I’m proud of the work to address and redevelop these sites, which provides economic development and investment and creates jobs in these communities.”

“One of the major goals of the Superfund program is to return contaminated sites into productive reuse for the surrounding communities,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford. “The Weldon Spring Interpretive Center provides historical and scientific educational opportunities about the site and its cleanup that will inform future generations about the area’s unique history.”

National Priorities List (NPL) Award: Weldon Spring, Missouri (Lead Federal Agency – U.S. Department of Energy [DOE], Office of Legacy Management [LM])

The Weldon Spring DOE LM Site, comprised of a former Chemical Plant and Quarry, has a complex history. It played a pivotal role in our nation’s history and success in World War II and the Cold War. The 228-acre site is located about 25 miles west of St. Louis and has been revitalized for beneficial reuse as a community educational center and recreational site. The Weldon Spring Interpretive Center features exhibits designed to fulfill DOE’s post-closure responsibilities. The center informs and educates the public about long-term stewardship and the site’s historical legacy. An important educational focus is on risk communication, showing how cleanup activities made the site safe for public use. Other redevelopment highlights include community use facilities and a natural prairie habitat, which promotes wildlife conservation.

Background

EPA has ongoing cleanup and property transfer responsibilities at 174 federal facility NPL sites across the country, which are some of the largest and most complex sites within the Superfund program. The Trump administration has made the Superfund program a top priority to advance the Agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA’s Superfund Task Force is working to promote redevelopment and reuse of sites by encouraging investment in reuse outcomes. The federal facility sites receiving reuse awards serve as examples of the types of site investment that can occur at sites once owned by federal agencies.