The costs for cleaning up lead-contaminated soil in Joplin parks will range from about $400,000 to $1.5 million, depending on the amount of soil that has to be removed.
The Joplin City Council this week authorized a contract with Crossland Heavy Contractors Inc. for the work. Costs will be paid from a $2.4 million grant the Environmental Protection Agency announced last week to help the city with lead cleanup.
Parr Hill and Garvin parks were closed in June as a result of the detection of heavy metals in the soil left by 2011 tornado damage. The other two city parks in the tornado-damage zone, Cunningham and Mohaska, were tested, and no contamination was found.
City officials believe the contamination came from soil or chat that was exposed when trees were uprooted and houses were destroyed. Mining was done in the central and western parts of the city, and chat from the mines is believed to have been used in building foundations for houses in various parts of town.
The city has posted signs at the parks to notify people about the closures. Parr Hill Park is at 15th Street and Kansas Avenue. Garvin Park is at 28th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Because of Joplin’s mining history, the city had an ordinance that required testing of soil at properties where children might be present. After the tornado, the ordinance was expanded to include properties in the tornado zone.
It is not known exactly how much soil will have to be removed and replaced. The city took bids on a base amount of removing 6 inches of soil and replacing it with 6 inches of clean soil, seeding grass and repaving any parking areas.
Six contractors bid on the work. The base bids for Parr Hill Park ranged from the wining bid of $353,189 to a high of $581,200. Bids on Garvin Park ranged from $40,094 to $63,873.
Part of the EPA money is being used to help eligible residents replace contaminated soil in yards.
The city has 55 applicants approved for assistance, with 23 more in the application steps.
Free soil tests are available from the Jasper County Health Department. Those may be requested by calling 417-358-0475 or 877-879-9131.
Applications for the cleanup program are available in the city’s building department on the fourth floor of City Hall, 602 S. Main St. The program coordinator, Leslie Heitkamp, can be reached at 624-0820, ext. 544.
Notification
OFFICIALS ARE UNCERTAIN how long the parks will be closed. The city will notify residents when they are ready to reopen.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Contractor hired for Joplin parks soil cleanup
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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Farmers Insurance teams up with Rebuild Joplin
Farmers Insurance announced Tuesday that the company will team up with Rebuild Joplin for an initiative to help the community complete its recovery efforts. The company already has placed one of its executives in Joplin, and it is pledging additional funds and volunteer hours by company workers to go toward the city’s recovery.
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Joplin man continues struggle to recover two years after tornado
As the Joplin tornado passed overhead, sweeping the house at 2430 S. Pennsylvania Ave. away in its wake, there was a moment of calm. Delbert Mcguirk was on his back in the basement, where he had sought shelter along with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren. In that moment of relative quiet, he stared up into the eye of the tornado.
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Storms cause damage throughout the Four States
Four-State Area residents hunkered down twice Monday to ride out tornadoes and powerful spring storms, then went to work cleaning up. The worst damage from Monday night’s storm was being reported in Ottawa County, Okla., near Wyandotte. That followed a report of an EF-1 tornado early Monday morning near Carthage.
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Two plead guilty to post-tornado wire theft
Two defendants pleaded guilty Monday to stealing copper wire from utility poles in the wake of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin. Timothy M. Silveria, 45, of Joplin, and Nycoa K. Kracht, 32, of Laurel, Ind., entered open pleas of guilty in Jasper County Circuit Court to felony counts of theft from a public utility.
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FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
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Therapy dogs
Any question that Louie was bred to put people as ease is put to rest when the golden retriever trots over to where a visitor sits and puts his head on their knee, the dog’s eyes filled with a gentle affection.
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Nova Kluseman and Jeanne Morrow
Nova Kluseman has staked her claim on Wednesdays at the Mercy medical office clinics where she volunteers. The staff at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will know it’s Thursday when they see Jeanne Morrow walk through the door.
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Greentree Community Church
Every two months, Joplin plays host to some now-familiar faces. They’re members of Greentree Community Church in St. Louis, and they have “adopted” the city as one of their mission projects since the tornado.
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Virginia Laas
Virginia Laas isn’t an accountant or bookkeeper by trade. But when the tornado caused significant damage to Joplin Schools, and subsequently spurred a massive landslide of donations to the district, Laas voluntarily stepped into those roles to fill a need that administrators were too busy to handle.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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