"Spring River Initiative" and DNR Violations

The Joplin Globe, Monday, Sept.20, 2010, reported on Missouri DNR's recent "Spring River Initiative", inspecting businesses and municipalities along Spring River for permit violations. According to DNR, 68 business, large agricultural operations and municipalities in Jasper, Lawrence and Barton counties have permits to discharge into the river or its tributaries. Samples of treated waste water also are being taken from some of those sites. Seven of 31 businesses and municipalities with permits to discharge into Spring River in Southwest Missouri did not meet state requirements during a recent round of inspections.

Violators include:
Blue Top Motel and Cafe, Lamar (Bypassing a lagoon, for vegetation growing on berms around the lagoon, and failure to report discharges since June 2001.)
Feltenberger Enterprises, Lamar (General Failure to operate and maintain the site in accordance with DNR permit.)
Schrader's Salvage, Carthage (Not having an annual report, because contaminants were exposed to storm water, and because outfalls were not marked.)
D&D Dirt, LLC, Webb City (Not having Best management practices in place and because outfalls were not marked.)
Carthage Specialty Pallet Co., Carthage (Did not have storm water pollution prevention plans in place.)
D&D Sexton, Carthage (Did not have storm water pollution prevention plans in place.)
The Lamar City Airport, Lamar (Did not have storm water pollution prevention plans in place and also because it did not have inspection logs.)

Body Contact is NOT Recommeded, September 9, 2010

The Jasper County Health Department has posted the results of their 09/09/2010 water quality testing at seven locations on Spring River. Specifically, this is the number of Escherichia coli colonies per 100 milliliters of river water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that swimming and body contact is NOT recommended when the sample exceeds 235 E. coli colonies per 100 ml. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) recommends a maximum of 126 E. coli colonies per 100 ml as the limit for "recreational" swimming and whole body contact, annually between April 1 and October 31.

The 09/09/2010 test results (E. coli colonies per 100 ml) and locations are listed below:

Swimming and body contact is NOT recommended at these sites.
2,419.6, Spring River at County Road 3
1,986.3, Spring River at County Road 85
1,203.3, Spring River at Kellogg Lake
980.4, Spring River at Francis Street
1,119.9, Spring River at Quaker Mill, County Lane 216
770.1, Spring River at County Road 270
1,413.6, Spring River at Kafir and State Line

For further information, contact:
Jasper County Health Department
105 Lincoln
Carthage, MO 64836
417/358-3111
417/358-0494 (fax)
moehra@lpha.dhss.mo.gov (e-mail)
877-879-9131 (toll free)
8:30 - 4:30 (hours)