big river watershed group relevance to community

Big River Watershed GroupRelevance to Community

• Government agencies will be doing something in this county soon, based on the recent ASARCO settlement:

• Make decisions about how lead (metals) will be removed

or managed (i.e. - where/how)

• Plan/Implement Construction Projects

• Suggest/Implement New Regulations and/or Restrictions

on Use of Floodplain Resources

• Address lead-health issues inside/out of floodplain


• Agencies have asked for Community Input

• Questions & Concerns

• Outcomes & Objectives

• Local knowledge; Current & Historical

• Perspectives

• Etc.


• Local Impacts to be considered:– Environment: How we deal with contaminants?– Natural Resources: How do we repair damages?– Economics How do the construction projects

affect local:• Jobs/contracts?• New/existing recreational amenities?• Commercial operations on River/Floodplain?• Agriculture?

– Public Health: How to protect our citizens?


Developing a Road Map for Long Term Management of the Watershed

Multiple Administrations◦ Political◦ Bureaucratic

Multiple Agency Interests

Multiple Funding Sources/Opportunities

Big River Master Planning Process

How did we get here?• U.S. EPA Superfund Actions throughout Old Leadbelt• Six Superfund Designations in St. Francois County• Successful suit against PRP (Potentially Responsible

Party)• “ASARCO” - the American Smelting & Refining Company• Significant financial resources awarded in suit for clean-up

and repair of natural resource damages throughout nation• $100 MM awarded to MO• $10’s MM designated for use in Old Lead Belt

• Trustees: U.S. EPA; U.S. Fish/Wildlife; MO DNR


How did we get here?

St. Francois County Big River Watershed Group◦ Formed by MO DNR to address lead load in Big

River◦ Met for several years to address watershed

issues Including Active Stream Team

◦ Helped inform and engage County Commission in Watershed Discussion with the agencies.



– Commission/Agencies discussed path forward– Contemplated notion of multi-county initiative– Washington, Jefferson & St. Francois County

Commissions/Council formed collaborative– Collaborative applied to EPA for funding– Superfund Cooperative Agreement Executed

to develop “Master Plan”– Collaborative Issued RFQ for/hired consultant


How did we get here? Consultant – URS Corporation, St. Louis

◦ Accomplished in Regional Collaborations◦ Previous Involvement in SEMO-specific Initiatives◦ Project Manager is a St. Francois County resident◦ Hired in December, 2010 by Counties

Scope of Work:◦ Create and support local Watershed Groups◦ Facilitate meaningful/thoughtful communications◦ Create Master Plan



URS met with Officials from each CountyURS met with each agency – multiple programsURS worked with each County to secure local

leadership/participation for Watershed GroupsURS created a draft Master Plan OutlineLocal Group Leaders provided for Watershed

Group meeting logistics, outreach and facilitation (tonight)


What are we going to do?Create a communications network for the group

◦ You don’t have to be present at meetings to be informed or provide input – Subcommittees may also be contemplated

Review Master Plan Outline (tonight)Populate, refine and complete the Master PlanContinuously share input/insights with

◦ Local citizenry, advocacy organizations, industry associations

◦ Elective officials◦ Agency representatives & officials◦ Media


Draft Master Plan Outline

1. Executive Summary

2. Watershed Planning – General Issues

3. Big River Watershed Issues – regulatory, statutory & legal status

4. Big River Watershed – Defined

5. Stakeholder Objectives

6. Institutional Participation

7. Information/Data Summary

8. Information/Data Gap Summary (fluid)

9. Master Planning Process Defined/Memorialized

10. Assimilation of Plans

11. Plan & Implementation Schedules

12. Monitoring/Oversight Summaries, Follow-up, Etc.

4. Big River Watershed - Defined

◦ Big River & its Tributaries Physical attributes Historical, current and anticipated future use Known & suspected deterioration

◦ Watershed Characterization Legacy of Mining

Known challenges Unknown challenges – material carried off site

Other Land Use Issues - downstream Impacts yet to be determined

319 Program Assistance

4. Big River Watershed – Defined (Cont’d)

• Jurisdictions•Counties •Communities

Legislative & Congressional Districts

Local, state and federal agencies

•Soil & Water Conservation Districts•Waste Water Treatment/Utility Districts•Etc.

4. Big River Watershed – Defined (Cont’d)

◦ Stakeholders & Partners Inhabitants (citizens) of the watershed County residents Transient users of the watershed (tourists, sportsman, etc.) Environmental & Conservation Advocates Public Health Advocates Economic Interests

Community/Region Economic Development Organizations Business Associations and individual commercial operators Agricultural Associations and farmers Labor Unions/collaboratives

Jurisdictional Interests Other…..

5. Stakeholder Objectives, Perspectives, Etc.?

◦ Healthy river/tributary/watershed eco-system Mitigate known threat to populations in Big &

Meramec Rivers (Mussels, etc.)

◦ Healthy human population Mitigate threats to citizens from heavy metal

concentrations in materials in-stream as well as materials removed from the watershed (soil/gravel/etc.).

5. Stakeholder Objectives, Perspectives, Etc.? (Cont’d)

◦ Healthy regional community/economy Increased utility of water resources for recreation Maximum benefit from plan implementation (planned

construction) Local contractors & labor used on construction projects Leverage planned construction to support new infrastructure

and/or amenities in/about watershed

Commercial Exploitation of Floodplain

◦ Satisfaction of all known regulatory requirements◦ Creation of new and/or necessary

statutory/regulatory controls in support of the Watershed

Contact Information

Mike Alesandrini

Senior Consultant

URS Corporation

[email protected]*

314-753-2416

*Underscore between mike_alesandrini, above

mailto:[email protected]

big river watershed group relevance to community

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