The following is copied from another website, but I have called my contact on the Water Protection Commission and he has verified this information. This will be decided by the legislature and eventually the governor. Every concerned citizen needs to contact Governor Blunt's office and your legislators ASAP and strongly condemn this proposal to lower our water quality standards so that lead mines can dump their waste into MO waters.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and Missouri politicians
who promote the Lead Industry are proposing to allow WASTE WATER from the floors of lead mines to be PUMPED INTO THE TRIBUTARIES of Missouiri's Ozark Scenic Riverways (Current, Jacks Fork & Eleven Point). Mine water contains LEAD, ARSENIC, CADMIUM, MOTOR OIL, AMMONIUM NITRATE, AND UNTREATED SEWAGE. "All that good stuff that's great for water quality, the environment & your health".

Any actual mining in the Scenic Riverways could lower water tables as is happening now in the Viburnum, Missouri area. This could adversely affect springs and wells.

Secondary contact use means "diminished water quality".


Wading, fishing, floating, boating, canoeing, stream team activities, and such would be considered secondary contact uses.

Current whole body contact standards:

Fecal coliform 200 colonies/100 ml water
E Coli 126 colonies/100 ml water

"Secondary contact" standards "proposed" by Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the ?Clean Water? Commission:

Fecal coliform 1,800 colonies/100 ml water
E Coli 1,134 colonies/100 ml water

This is a nine fold increase in the number of "harmful bacteria" that would be allowed in the rivers! With 2,800 stream teams & an estimated 56,000 volunteers regularly wading and working in Missouris rivers & streams, such an incease in bacteria would put these people at risk, as well as anyone who uses the river for any recreational activity.

These "are" your rivers; they are "supposedly" National Scenic Riverways. Think the politicians & the big dogs of the lead industry will be out there paddling, fishing, swimming, camping, wading in them?

Contact : Marlene Kirchner
Clean Water Commission
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, Mo. 65102

Contact: Bonnie Liscek
US EPA Region 7
901 N 5th Street
Kansas City, Mo. 66101

Contact: Missouri Department of Natural Resource

Here is the Forum that discusses this (Arkansas Canoe Club)
[url=http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com...7fd8c6462a:f6f0e]www.arkansascanoeclub.com...7fd8c6462a[/url:f6f0e]


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Fishing the Ozarks