Officials want quicker cleanup of lead

Cleanup efforts in Herculaneum should be broadened and hastened to resolve public health concerns over lead contamination in the Missouri town that's home to the nation's largest lead smelter, according to a report released by the state Friday.

The so-called "health consultation," requested by the state Department of Natural Resources and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, also questions whether many of the remediation efforts in the 2,800-resident town 30 miles south of St. Louis will stand the test of time.

"The telling finding is that we don't really have enough information from a public health standpoint about whether the actions taken are going to result in a long-term solution," said Scott Clardy of the state Department of Health and Senior Services, which released the report.

The state has said that more than half the Herculaneum children under 6 who live within a half-mile of the Doe Run Co. smelter have high levels of lead in their blood, which has been linked to decreased intelligence and other health problems.

The EPA has not definitively tied any health problems to the smelter, though many Herculaneum residents say they are certain of a link.

Overseen by the EPA, Doe Run already has spent millions cleaning up Herculaneum yards, homes and streets, with plans to spend up to $11 million to buy homes near the smelter.