St. Joe State Park Air Monitoring Site

The department's air monitoring station at St. Joe State Park stands on land that housed a mine in the state's old lead belt south of St. Louis. The St. Joe Minerals Corp. ceased its mining operations in 1972, and four years later, it donated the land to the state for a park. Today, once-mined areas underlay about 25 percent of the park, and remnants of the mining era include the milling complex, now home to a gallery of mining equipment as well as a rock and mineral museum.

Pollutants

Lead

The primary and secondary ambient air standards for lead have remained at 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter since 2008. The primary standard reflects EPA's concern for public health while the second standard demonstrates concern for public welfare. EPA bases the standard on the highest rolling three-month average over a period of three years and two months. A monitoring site meets the standard when this rolling three-month average is less than or equal to 0.15 μg/m³.

Departmental information about lead